Kitten Creates

Walk like an Egyptian...

2012-02-11T16:36:00.000-05:00

Or at least keep making Egyptian themed charms...I know I can't stop myself!

Bast the Cat Goddess

2012-02-01T12:22:00.000-05:00

So here's what I've been up to lately...the ArtCharms group is having an Ancient Egyptian swap. As soon as I saw the swap announcement, I signed up & ordered the brass Bast charms. I knew just where to get them...from StampDiva, who has awesome stamps & supplies, including a very wonderful selection of unusual charms & beads. I already had one of these beautiful cat charms, so I got to work designing around that.

Since spirals are a big motif in Egyptian artwork, I took the plunge & attempted to make a wire spiral...my wire working skills needed some polishing up...so I jumped in & tried the coiled spirals. To my surprise, they were easy to make & it was fun to hammer them flat to work harden the wire & give each coil a bit of personality. I'm no longer intimidated by wire after making so many spirals for this swap.

After struggling with some tiny seed beads that I loved, I had to admit defeat & switch to a slightly larger bronze seed bead to use with the chunks of turquoise for the final element of my charm. I do love how the elements came together in this charm & they're now all completed & will be shipped off to the swap hostess soon.

I went a bit crazy with the packaging for this swap, too. Years ago, I was in an ATC swap where we were each assigned a letter of the alphabet to use for our ATCs. I was lucky enough to get "B"...so I created the ATC you see above...without the charm, of course. I simply scanned in my ATC, resized it to fit in the small zip bags I use to package each charm, & used those as my ID tag. The back has a sticker with my name, email, blog & Etsy shop links on it so each swapper will know who created the charm. The Bast image on the ATC is from 100 Proof Press & the column is Stampington & Co. The cool brass safety pin gizmo is from SkyBluePink.

I'll be making additional Egyptian charms for my own use & will need to decide what to create with the swap charms once they return home sometime in March. This has to be one of the most interesting swaps I've been a part of in a long time...and I'm looking forward to many more this year. If you're looking for a fun & challenging swap group for art charms, be sure to check us out here.

Vintage Valentines

2012-01-25T09:36:00.000-05:00

I am a child of a 1950s vintage...grew up in suburbia with an Ozzie & Harriet aura surrounding us. Valentine's Day is a special childhood memory, although for years I didn't really think twice about it until I discovered some scrapbooks in my Mom's basement. She had saved many cards from my childhood, as well as ones we had given her. She also saved my Grandma's scrapbooks of greeting cards. The cards are somewhat yellowed from age...most have to be from the 1950s as Grandma died early in the 1960s.

I've decided to part with many of my vintage collections, so these & others are available in my Etsy shop, KittenCreates. I only have 2 sets available...and each set has 13 vintage Valentines. I'll be listing other vintage greeting cards, but this is it for Valentines unless I discover more one day.

I'd love for you to take a look...thanks!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

2012-01-23T08:50:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to all of you...it's The Year of the Dragon...and I'm a Dragon baby. More specifically, it's the year of the Black Water Dragon. I'm looking forward to a good year...& hoping that will be the case. Heaven knows I could use a good year. I'll be doing more research to see if things are in my favor.

One good way to start the year is already planned...we're having Chinese take out tonight! No cooking for me & awesome food from our favorite local Chinese restaurant. I wonder what our fortune cookies will reveal tonight...should be interesting.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

It's time for Valentine's Day stuff

2012-01-12T20:43:00.000-05:00

If I'm up to my elbows in pink stuff, can Valentine's Day be far behind?

I had to throw in a bit of peach to enhance the pink.

And some purple always goes with pink, too.

These new color combos as well as many others are now available in my Etsy shop. I'm planning to list a few more Valentine treasures there, too. Who knows...there might be some vintage Valentines for sale. Of course, there are also bracelets & charms with a hearts & love theme...stop on by & see if there's anything your heart desires.

Just a reminder...USPS shipping rates go up on January 22, 2012. I'll need to raise my shipping prices at that time, too. So...if there's anything you want, now is the time to get it at the current rates.

Thanks for stopping by!

Are you starting the year by organizing?

2012-01-05T16:31:00.001-05:00

Does your art studio look something like this?

(note to self...cover those hideous wheat decals on that chest!)

Or this?

I'm not even brave enough to show you more of my mess...and it has to get cleared out & organized...again. Some of the stuff will go into my Etsy shop as destash...and some will be donated.

This room doesn't even hold all I have...there's stuff in here by the computer & lots of fabrics & such in the basement. I used to sew a lot. My Mom sewed a lot...and so much of her stuff is still here, 3 years after she's gone. I don't do much sewing anymore...and I'll be packing up a big box or 2 of supplies to send off to Rebecca Sower for her "Clean-Out for Quilts" fabric drive. Rebecca and a group of women are creating quilts that will be sent to women & children in Haiti. It's an on-going project, so if you have a fabric stash, perhaps you could help, too. She has a list of supplies they need & a link so you can email her with any questions & to get the mailing address.

Thanks for taking the time to read this...it's a way to do some good while cleaning out & organizing your own supplies. I'm always happy when I can help by donating things others need that I have far too much of...I don't have money, but I do have STUFF to share.

Now to tackle that studio...it's a challenge with a kitty "helper"...but I wouldn't have it any other way!

Our new New Year's Tradition...

2012-01-02T17:02:00.000-05:00

Phil certainly had a GREAT idea when he suggested Chinese take out as the way to eat our pork & cabbage for good luck in the new year. Pork fried rice...egg rolls...Roast Pork with Chinese vegetables. LOTS of bok choy in the stir fry...cabbage in the egg rolls...and pork throughout. Yep...this is how we'll do it from now on. We got 3 fortune cookies along with our meal...you can see our fortunes above. They seem like auspicious fortunes to start a new year.

Now if only it hadn't snowed...with more on the way. Lake effect snow sucks. We've only got a couple inches on the ground, but if you know me, one flake is way too much! Snow should be on top of the mountains where it belongs...not where we live.

Time for me to hibernate!

Happy New Year !!!

2012-01-01T14:11:00.000-05:00

Well, it's 2012. Good riddance to 2011...and here's hoping 2012 will be a much better year for all.

The postcard above is from 2008...I haven't been doing much paper art lately. I'm not sure why...I just got burnt out on it. So I've been playing with beads...and dyeing ribbons...I need a creative outlet, that's for sure. I never did get a Remains of the Day journal done last year. I have boxes of paper & ephemera pulled out to do one or more, but once the tension got messed up on my sewing machine, I lost interest. One of the first things I'll do this year is attempt to fix that tension as there are also pillows & curtains that need to be sewn to freshen up this house...and then I'll get back to making some journals. I'm feeling the need to play with paper again, which is a good thing as I have tons of it!

Our New Year's Eve was quiet...aside from my coughing because of the way the cold weather affects my asthma. We enjoyed good munchies, including a warm spinach & artichoke dip that was especially yummy. Hint: if you make an artichoke dip yourself...buy the frozen artichoke hearts...they're wonderful. So much better than the ones from a can or a jar. We also had some Prosecco for our bubbly & after Phil fell asleep, I talked to some friends in Nevada & CA. And I played with Sunny Cat. It was a nice evening.

Today will be quiet again...although I'll probably be swearing at the TV once the game starts...it's Pittsburgh here against the Browns...or Clowns...all I hope is that Clevetown looks like it's playing football & we don't embarrass ourselves too much! No roast pork & cabbage or sauerkraut this year, but we will have those foods in our dinner. They're good luck, & we can't mess with that. Ours will just come from some Chinese takeout. Roast Pork with Chinese Vegetables, Pork Fried Rice & Egg Rolls (for the cabbage part). This might become our new tradition...I never did like sauerkraut anyway!

Here's wishing you & yours a wonderful, happy, healthy, prosperous & creative New Year!

While visions of catnip mice danced in her head...

2011-12-27T00:56:00.000-05:00

A little catnap after a long Christmas Day.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:01:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas to you & yours!

Another Creative Gift Idea

2011-12-24T11:38:00.000-05:00

Another one of the gifts I sent has been received, so I can share this idea with you. Yesterday I said that you shouldn't throw out those mint tins...well, you shouldn't really throw out any tins, since they can be upcycled into pretty little things. This tin lived it's former life as a Clipiola tin. I've loved using those little round Italian paper clips from Cavallini & Co. for years, and one tin was finally empty. It was easy to cut paper to size & add that plus some ribbon & a Cavallini bird sticker to the tin, then bling it up with some Stickles in a deep green...I think it's called Patina.

Since I couldn't decide on just one charm to use as a pendant on a simple necklace for the gift, I made 3 charms that are things I know Kimber loves. These all nestled into some crimped paper inside the tin & went on their way to the Pacific NW.

So...if you still have some gifts to make...this might work for you. Upcycling is all the rage...yet artists have been doing it for years. We just figured we were being resourceful & using things that might look like trash to someone who didn't realize that just about anything can be an art supply. Really. You should see the boxes & drawers full of stuff in my studio. But that's another post for another day. Maybe.

Time to go make some spreads & dips to nibble on while we wait for Santa tonight!

Need some last minute gift ideas?

2011-12-23T10:27:00.000-05:00

Maybe you're still making gifts for Christmas...or Hanukkah...or Kwanzaa. I'm sharing some of the ideas I came up with this year. All the people who these were sent to have opened them, so I won't be spoiling any surprises...I sure wouldn't want to do that.

The ornaments above add some very pretty sparkle to your Christmas tree. I especially love the icicles...I'm thinking I need lots of those to adorn our tree next year. They look so elegant, yet were relatively easy to put together if you have the supplies & some basic beading skills & tools. Those are vintage hooks on the ornaments...they're sooooo much sturdier than the ones you buy now.

Here's the cross hanging on a tree. I love the peace dove on this one.

My friend Bev collects buttons & uses them in her artwork & jewelry designs. When considering a little something to send her way, I decided on an altered mint tin...don't ever throw those away as they're a great canvas for altering. A little collage on the front, along with some buttons and a line from a vintage book are all it takes.

Then go through your button box or jar & select some pretty ones to share.

A bit of memory wire & beads make a pretty bracelet that goes together in a matter of hours. Add some charms or more beads to the ends & you have a bracelet that fits almost any wrist. This one is in Los Angeles for a nice, warm, Hanukkah celebration. I wish I could have delivered it in person!!!

There's always the option of making a piece of jewelry such as a pendant or earrings & gifting them in an altered matchbox. A small ornament could be gifted the same way...or maybe some cold hard cash would fit inside...that's always the right size & color!

These little ornaments add a cute touch to your gift packages & then look "sew" sweet on the tree. If you bake & give goodies as gifts, these are a nice touch for attaching the gift tag or closing a bag of cookies.

Last but not least, most people really love to get a handcrafted ornament. I have friends who tell me how they always think of me as they're decorating their tree, or how once their daughter got married, they gave her the collection of ornaments I'd made to get her started with a nice collection.

Merry & Happy to all of you! Remember to slow down, breathe, & enjoy your holidays...and some good munchies with a nice adult beverage never hurt, either!

Happy Hanukkah !

2011-12-20T17:41:00.000-05:00

Happy Hanukkah!

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah. Since we celebrate both Hanukkah & Christmas, we will be lighting the first candle tonight...and eating latkes for dinner...with applesauce & sour cream, of course. We'll be eating lots of latkes over the next eight days, I'm sure...and this year I'm going to make a noodle kugel. Phil loves noodle kugel, so I'm not sure why I've never made one before. I have a few recipes to choose from, so I'll let him pick the one he likes best. I don't remember ever tasting it, so this will be something new that may become a tradition.

Now...for the latkes, there's a story, of course. One year I made latkes from scratch. Shredded potatoes & onions...and a few scrapes to my knuckles from the hand grater. They were so good...or so I thought. As we ate, I asked Phil how he liked them & he said they were ok, but too much like hash browns. He liked his Mom's better. Fair enough...so I called his Mom to ask how she made hers.

Here's the secret recipe...Manischewitz Potato Pancake Mix.
Right from the box.
No scraped knuckles.
Just follow the recipe on the back of the box & fry those babies up.
Serve with sour cream & applesauce.
Phil is happy.

That's how I'll make them tonight. I'll do some from scratch ones using the blender to chop up the potato/onion mixture during the eight days...but for tonight, we're going with tradition.

It's a Girl!

2011-12-18T06:01:00.000-05:00

Yep...it's a girl kitty named Sunkist...and she came home with us yesterday afternoon. She's pretty much a non-stop cat right now...exploring all around her new digs. She roamed around all day Saturday, slowing down just enough to get comfortable for awhile & catch a little catnap. The pic above is her just after waking me up at 5am today...she looks as if she pulled an all nighter!

You can see here...in a brief minute of rest...that she is polydactyl on her front paws...and the way she can flex those extra toes makes it look like she's attempting to develop opposable thumbs so she can rule the world!

This is how she spent a good part of her first day...watching birdies. That's good kitty entertainment!

Yes, that's snow on the ground, but she's warming our house with her kitty presence, so I'm trying to ignore the snow. It's good to have a kitty in this house again.

Apparently, Sunkist's original owners had to turn her in to the shelter when their landlord refused to let them keep cats. Poor baby...she had been in there since May 2011. She's got a good forever home now...and she's already trying to train us to do what she wants!

One last pic for today. This is another morning photo...she had just come out of the back window & looks sad that there are no birdies yet...it's still dark out. She'll get lots of good birdie watching time later today.

Now to get her to stay off the kitchen table, stop clawing the furniture, and stop trying to chew on the Christmas tree. We've unplugged the lights as a precaution. She's already stolen those candy cane ornaments from the bottom of the tree & I'm hoping we can leave the tree up through the New Year. I'll get a pic of her under the tree soon...she does like to sleep there...she has definitely made herself at home.

Our Christmas Tree is just not right this year...

2011-12-16T12:40:00.000-05:00

Our tree is up...it's almost decorated. I've had a bit of a problem getting it done this year as a major part of our Christmas and our lives is missing. The first thing our dear sweet Sophie Cat did each year was to lie down under our tree...and start to "steal" ornaments from the bottom branches. You can see her favorites in the photo of her above. I miss that.

The photo above is from 2003...we were all still quite happy in CA...and Sophie was looking for Santa, I'm sure. We miss her more than words can ever express. Hug your furry friends for me, ok?

Vintage jewelry

2011-12-10T00:03:00.000-05:00

Do you like vintage jewelry? I know I do, but I rarely wear any of it these days. Sad, but true. Somehow the brooch above doesn't go too well with my jeans & sweatshirt. I remember saving my money back in the 1960s to be able to buy presents for my Mom & Dad...and this is one I bought for Mom. It was probably from Higbee's...you know...the department store shown in "A Christmas Story". Only I grew up in the real Higbee's, which is no longer open. Neither are Halle Bros. or May Company or Sterling Linder. Very sad. Those were the days in Cleveland OH.

Anyway, I've decided to begin to part with some of my vintage jewelry. I have it available in my Etsy shop now, including those pretty bells. Perhaps you're still looking for an unusual gift for someone...or maybe Santa needs to get it for you. I know "Santa" has left quite a few gifts under my tree over the years...I love playing Santa, even to myself.

Here are more of the pieces available. I'd love for them to find a good home. Really. It has taken me a long time to decide to start to part with them. They need to be loved by someone else now.

There's even a tie clip that belonged to my Dad. I bought it for him at Halle Bros. when I worked there. He collected coins & loved wearing this tie clip.

I now return to my tree decorating...it's going slowly, but that's another story for another day. Let's just say I'm a bit anal about the tree...and I'll be moving things around on it for quite some time.

Seriously. I have references.

December already???

2011-12-01T16:45:00.000-05:00

No, our tree is not up yet...but I'm targeting next weekend to at least schlep the boxes up from the basement so the tree can be set up & I can begin the ritual of "foofing" out the branches just so...it's a skinny faux tree as I'm allergic to real evergreens. Found that out the hard way one Christmas years ago...my nose looked like Rudolph's & not from having one too many!

I love the shot above...it's from last year's tree & shows just part of our "Santa in the Sunshine" ornament collection. We're dreaming of a GREEN Christmas! The only snow can be the faux garland on our tree.

I've been busy taking pix to post some more stuff to my Etsy shop, including some vintage treasures. I've enjoyed some nice orders recently, even a custom order which was a lot of fun to do. I'm thinking I may offer custom order service after the first of the year. It's good for me to stay busy creating things that others want to buy.

I hope all of you are enjoying this time between Thanksgiving & Christmas. We'll have our Hanukkah celebration starting December 20th at sundown...so it will be a Christmakkah here. Or is it Hannumas? Either way, it should be fun...with good food, too.

Cyber Monday

2011-11-28T19:05:00.000-05:00

So did you shop this weekend? We avoid the malls & big box stores...and only did some grocery shopping...we had to get a turkey for ourselves as the one I made earlier in the week was taken to our out-of-town celebration. We returned home Friday evening to relax for the rest of the long weekend.

I was busy packaging up my hand dyed ribbons to send to a dear friend who will offer them for sale with her handcrafted items at a Christmas Craft Sale. I just listed some more in my Etsy shop, too...I dyed up about 200 yards of ribbon! I just never get tired of those pretty colors.

The charms above were the ones I made for a Christmas Ornament Charm swap in the ArtCharms group. I got THREE sets of charms returned to me on Friday & Saturday...the ornaments as well as a Christmas swap with red, green & gold charms...and an Autumn Charms swap, too. Lots of eye candy to make me very happy.

I haven't gotten into the shopping frenzy of Cyber Monday, either...most of the gifts I give are handmade, and I'll get them finished soon. I think the tree will go up next weekend...so I'll focus on my Etsy shop until then. I'd love to have you visit me there if you get a chance. Thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T02:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Turkey Day to all of you!

Santa's workshop?

2011-11-21T02:02:00.000-05:00

I feel a bit like I've been working in Santa's workshop this weekend...and shopping for all the Thanksgiving necessities, too. The little ornaments above are SEW cute on the tree. They're for sale in sets of 3 in my Etsy shop.

I've made more altered matchbox gift boxes & calico wreath ornaments, too...and since Hanukkah Harry helps Santa when he needs help, I made this pretty Star of David bracelet. The blue beaded chain is vintage & I think it's gorgeous with a single Star of David adorning it.

I'll be doing a lot of cooking over the next few days to prepare for our Thanksgiving feast...then I can enjoy the day...and watch some football, too!

WHOO's got owls?

2011-11-19T11:56:00.000-05:00

Who's got owls? My friend Kimber has owls...and you can have them, too...all you have to do is visit her Etsy shop...Kimberiginal. I was the lucky recipient of one of these cuties one Christmas & they are so adorable. You'll definitely want one or more on your tree. They make great gifts & are fabulous to tie onto a gift as a special trim.

I've been busy making more ornaments & altered matchbox gift boxes to sell...of course, as I get them done, they will be listed in my Etsy shop, KittenCreates. I found some vintage Christmas Seals from 1984...and the one sheet I have from that year actually had Hanukkah images in addition to the usual Christmas ones. I have not seen that in any other year. I have created a couple sets of Altered Matchboxes using reproductions of these stamps & they are also available in my shop.

Back to the studio...to see if the paint is dry so I can make more gift boxes...I sold 5 sets yesterday alone...so y'all know what I'll be doing this weekend. I hope you're doing something creative, too.

We return to our getting ready for Christmas programming...

2011-11-13T13:52:00.000-05:00

Back in the 1970s-1990s, I used to sew a lot. I've done some sewing here & there since then, and when I was looking through some of my stash, I found a basket with a bunch of little circles already cut out. The prints are some of my favorite 1980s calicos...the colors are a bit deeper than the vibrant Christmas reds & greens...and the accents are ivory & a bit of metallic gold...even touches of blue. They are gorgeous fabrics & I still have some yardage...I bought enough to make a Christmas quilt...but never got around to that.

It's still on my to do list.

I decided to sew up these little wreaths from those vintage fabric circles...and they are currently for sale in my Etsy shop...Kitten Creates. Each one is lovingly hand sewn...there is no machine stitching here...just handmade ornaments for a bit of Christmas nostalgia on your tree.

Now if I can get the tension working right on my sewing machine...I'm hoping to make some more of those kitty ornaments I donated to the Humane Society sale...so I guess y'all know what I'll be working on for awhile. I wonder how much tension I'll have while trying to fix the machine tension???

The Birthday Girl c.1957

2011-11-12T08:40:00.001-05:00

This little Birthday Girl is me...back in 1957, I guess. The folder with this pic in it doesn't have any notes on it, but I think I see 5 candles on my cake. The party scene is in the basement of the house we live in now...and it is still unfinished to this day. It's only used for storage these days, but back when the house was new, it was our playroom & party room. Check out that dress I'm wearing...good grief! My favorite part of the table is those aluminum tumblers...wish I had found those in the basement here, but they are long gone.

Then...a couple years ago, my favorite stamping/scrapbook/altered art/fun stuff store, Red Lead Paperworks, came out with this birthday girl image...see any similarities? I hadn't even found the pic of me when I made this tag to send to them as a sample for their shop. Interesting coincidence, no?

I do love this image...and I've used it many times. The text stamp is from Red Lead, too.

So...it's my birthday...and we have wild jumbo snow crab legs & clusters waiting in the freezer...it will be a good dinner tonight! I'd rather cook my own dinner than go to any of the restaurants around here. We have a bottle of Prosecco chilling, too...let the celebration begin...after I get some more sleep!

BTW...Mother Nature is cooperating as much as she can in OH...she doesn't have much to work with in this pathetic state. The snow is gone & the sun is shining...and it should get into the 50s. Still too cold for me, but better than it could be. Thanks, Mother Nature.

I thought 11-11-11 was supposed to be LUCKY!

2011-11-11T07:45:00.001-05:00

Looking out the back window this morning...CRAP!!!

This certainly is NOT my idea of a lucky day...guess I'll go back to bed..."at least it's not worse" is the best thing I can think of. I absolutely HATE HATE HATE snow...even one little flake is too much for me. Thankfully, Phil has today off...so he didn't have to scrape off the car before leaving for work.

I hope it's warm & sunny wherever you are. This crap had better not be here tomorrow is all I can say.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2011-11-07T10:41:00.000-05:00

Luckily, that does NOT mean snow is falling here...but it IS beginning to look a lot like Christmas in my Etsy shop... Kitten Creates. I've been busy with paper, paint, embellishments & beads...making some pretty things for the holidays ahead. I'm still busy in my studio...and have decided to part with some vintage treasures, too...so please check back from time to time to see what's new.

I hope you'll take a look at what I've added into my shop & perhaps you'll find an interesting bauble or two for someone special...or for yourself. And if you have a friend who is shopping for handcrafted gifts, please feel free to share the link to my shop. Many thanks!

You'll find ornaments:

...and gift boxes...

...and jewelry...

...and pretty ribbons, of course...

...to help make your season merry & bright.

A Charming Autumn

2011-11-04T10:47:00.000-04:00

I must confess...I'm not a big fan of the colors associated with Autumn...the oranges, browns and golds. But this year I challenged myself to work with them a bit & I'm sharing the results so far with you. They're still not my favorite colors, but for now they're playing well with others.

Happy Halloween!!!

2011-10-29T20:07:00.000-04:00

This is our sweet Sophie Cat back in much happier Halloweens in Corona, CA. I guess she's now our Halloween kitty ghost...hope she haunts us as much as possible. I do still find a bit of kitty hair & I even found a whisker the other day...I believe it's a sign she's still here in spirit.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN Y'ALL !!!

Dia de los Muertos Bracelet

2011-10-22T15:04:00.000-04:00

This is my Dia de los Muertos bracelet...finally complete...or, knowing me...probably finally complete. I often make changes to the stuff I keep of what I've made...so nothing is really FINAL as long as it's here.

These charms are a combination of some that I have made, some purchased ones such as the dancing skeleton, and some lovely crosses, a heart Milagro & Virgin de Guadalupe medal gifted to me by my dear friend Gabriela in Mexico City. Muchas gracias, Gabriela!

Yesterday's mail brought an envie packed full of MORE Dia de los Muertos loveliness...the charms from our swap in the ArtCharms group! I think y'all know what I'll be working on next!

Halloween Bracelet

2011-10-20T17:07:00.000-04:00

So here is the best reason to participate in ArtCharms swaps...my new Halloween bracelet! It's a combination of swapped charms & some of my own to fill in...and I just love it. Thanks to all my swap sisters who played in this one.

Just found out that our Dia de los Muertos charms have gone postal...so another bracelet will be created soon...I'm really looking forward to receiving those charms. I'll share a pic of that bracelet, too.

Please remember that if you are able to help, my friend Melody is still collecting donations for her Art Supply Drive to help at risk school students. Many thanks to all of you who have helped already...it's a great cause with tangible benefits...and hopefully benefits for years to come for these kids.

Humane Society Fundraiser update & a call for Art Supplies

2011-10-08T10:37:00.000-04:00

Thanks to permission from Jeanette Janson, I am able to share the pic above of some of my donated items for sale at the Humane Society fundraiser. You can read more about the fundraiser on Jeanette's blog. I was so happy to be able to donate & to see the little tribute card I created about our dear Sophie included in this display. You can also see more of the event photos here.

In other art related news, once again my dear friend, Melody, is teaching art journaling to a class of at-risk students in Southern CA. Melody has been volunteering her time to teaching these students for quite a few years now & can really use any donations from all of us. It seems that as artists, we always have extra supplies...or access to great deals on supplies...and it's a great feeling to be able to share with these kids.

Melody can explain it much more eloquently than I can...so please check out her Art Supply Drive on her blog & please donate if you are able. She shares a great video explaining her program at that link. Please take a few minutes to visit my dear friend's blog & please donate if you can. I know times are tough for all of us, but every little bit helps & all of it goes to very good use.

Thanks & have a great weekend...it's actually NICE weather here for a change...a complete opposite of last weekend's gloom & doom. We'll be out enjoying it as much as we can.

Art Charm swaps

2011-10-02T02:51:00.000-04:00

One day of looking at that icky photo as the first thing on my blog was more than enough...so I'm going to share pix of some recent charm swaps I've done with the ArtCharms group. The one above was Woodstock & the 1960s...well, I wasn't at Woodstock, but I definitely was around in the 60s, having graduated from high school in 1970.

Then there was a Summer Garden swap...I did 2 different designs for that one...both with flowers & butterflies. Fun swap.

A Summertime quick swap where we only made 5 charms & got 5 back. I did 2 different sets...the fishies & the SUN! We'll do the same swap for Autumn, that nasty Winter, & Spring, too.

Here are my charms for the Going Native theme. Bone beads with chips of turquoise & red jasper. All of the swaps above have ended & our charms from others in the group have returned to us.

Our most recent swaps are due to the hostesses soon. My bone skeletons for Halloween are above. I adore those little skull beads.

And then the swap I was most excited to see...a Dia de los Muertos swap! My sugar skull contribution is shown above. I'm currently working on a Dia de los Muertos bracelet for myself, & the charms from this swap might just end up as another bracelet once they have returned to me. This was a big swap...28 charms...so that will be a nice, full second bracelet...or maybe a Dia de los Muertos altered book with the swap charms hanging from the spine. Only time will tell.

There were also quite a few swaps I didn't play in...I have to limit how many I do. If you want to get started in making Artcharms, or want a nice active charm group, I can recommend the ArtCharms Yahoo group...lots of great art charms, fun people & everyone pitches in to answer questions if you need help on a technique.

As for me...I'm going back to bed...

2011-10-01T09:03:00.000-04:00

Well, October is here in O-HELL-O. This is the best pic I could get out the back window...no way am I going outside today. It's been so cold & rainy that we had to give in & turn on the furnace last night...on September 30th...the blasted furnace was on!!! No turning it off today, either...the forecast is bleak. It's in the 40s already...way too cold for me, but I know it's gonna get worse...lots worse & that winter crap will last for around 6 months. I definitely have SAD & shouldn't have moved here to begin with...but can't fix that mistake right now. One day...one day we'll escape again.

Have I told you lately that I hate it here???

I got brave & opened the front door...this is the view looking east down this street of ticky tacky 1950s suburban "dreams".

My plan for this first October Saturday? I'm going back to bed!

Phil already did that...he's a smart man.

Catching up on my Charm a Day progress

2011-09-17T16:03:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been quite awhile since I posted some charms from my Charm a Day challenge. I've been faithfully continuing to create them & post them in our ArtCharms group...I'm now on Day 84! The last time I posted here, it was Day 37...and no, I'm not going to bore you with 47 pix of charms to catch up. I'm not even going to post which day is which...I'm just sharing some of my favorites with you now.

And a photo of the packaging with some of the pendants for the Humane Society fundraiser...

The items I created for the sale all arrived safe & sound at their destination earlier in the week. I sure hope the sale does well and raises lots of money to help lots of deserving animals.

Have a fun & creative weekend.

Remember...always Remember

2011-09-11T00:01:00.000-04:00

More for the Humane Society

2011-09-09T15:57:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is when I'll be mailing my donation for the sale at the Humane Society fundraiser. I've been busy creating & wanted to share these pix with you. The kitties above are Christmas ornaments...or would be cute just hanging around the house. I made these as my lowest priced items so more people would be able to go home with something cute for supporting the critters.

Here's a closeup of a couple of those little cuties. The fabrics are actually vintage now...from the 1970s & early 1980s. I may have to make more of these to sell in my Etsy shop.

A couple kitty book thongs.

Kitty pendants

A memory wire bracelet

And I couldn't forget the puppies & dogs...but didn't really have any dog related beads & charms...so when my dear friend Kathy sent me a care package of supplies she was no longer using, there were some dog themed charms inside! The little guy in his dog house seemed perfect & I did make one more pendant with a dog bowl & bone hanging from the heart bead. Thanks, Kathy!

I still have to take pix, but each of the pendants is packaged in a small altered matchbox. Now all I need to do is tag & package up all of these to mail off tomorrow. My Remember September mail art envie is ready to go, too. It's been a week of battling sinus headaches & hay fever allergies...but quite productive anyway. At least I can create when I'm unable to sleep.

Have a good weekend...and remember the heroes & victims of September 11, 2001...ten years ago.

Remember September Mail Art Memorial

2011-09-02T11:20:00.000-04:00

It's time again to participate in the Remember September Mail Art Memorial project if you are so inspired.

The envelope above is the one I mailed last year. This year, as we all know, is the 10th anniversary of that tragic day...September 11, 2001. The TV shows about that day have been running for awhile now. I have been enjoying one series on Discovery. It's called Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero. I like that it focuses on the present & future of Ground Zero, while still honoring the past. I really had no idea how far they had come in the rebuilding. It's comforting to know there will be both a memorial in the original footprint of the Twin Towers and new life returning to the site.

I've been focused on creating for the Humane Society fundraiser as well as doing my Charm A Day challenge...just completed Day 69 today! But now my focus will change back to mail art for a bit while I create my Remember September Mail Art piece. I'll mail it on Saturday, September 10th. My seventh year of participating in this project. Details and some archives of past projects are found in the link right under my 2010 envelope.

Honor the past...live for today...and look to the future.

Humane Society Fundraiser

2011-08-27T12:03:00.001-04:00

I haven't been able to post about our loss yet, but our dear sweet Sophie Cat has moved on into the great kitty beyond. It has been two long, painful months since Sophie died. We still miss her so very much. One day we'll be able to open our hearts to another kitty, but not quite yet. I'll post a tribute to our special kitty one day soon...in the meantime, please hug your furry friends for me, OK?

And that brings me to this bracelet I made...

A little while ago, I was reading through blogs I like & on Jeanette Janson's blog I saw a call for artists to create animal related pieces to donate to a sale being held to benefit the Humane Society. Being an animal lover, I wrote to Jeanette & offered to donate something. The bracelet you see above is one of my donations. I made it to honor our Sophie Cat. Sophie was a shelter kitty & I know she would approve.

Jeanette also just did a blog post showing the awesome bracelet she created & also showing my bracelet. Thanks, Jeanette! I'm also working on a few book thongs, pendants, & Christmas ornaments so that there are some lower priced items in case people want to contribute but cannot afford to give much money. I'm painfully aware of that situation, and I'm thrilled to be able to make some pieces to donate to a great cause.

If you are an artist who is able to create a piece to donate, please email Jeanette to let her know. Her contact info is on her blog. Sophie & all the other critters in shelters thank you. If you are looking for a loving furry companion, please go to a shelter & help one of those loving animals find their forever home.

Art charms again...catching up on my CAD challenge

2011-08-01T08:19:00.000-04:00

Day 27 - A Spoonful of Pretty

Day 28 - Primary Heart

Day 29 - Pretty Pink Hearts

Day 30 - Pink & Black Baubles

Day 31 - Red Deco Button

Day 32 - Tropical Delight

Day 33 - Leopard Spots & Tiger Stripes

Day 34 - Found in a Parma, OH Garden

Day 35 - African Trade Beads #1

Day 36 - Tribal Trio

Day 37 - Honey Bee

Whew! Well, I'm having a ton of fun making a charm a day. The original challenge was to get through July, which I've done, and the Honey Bee above is my first charm for August. I'm going to keep going on these for as long as I still have fun with them...but I will try to post something other than charms, too. They're a good bit of art to do while it's so hot & the Clevetown area air quality is sooooooooo bad...today is yet another "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" air alert day...get us outa here!!!

More Art Charms...A Charm A Day

2011-07-21T18:50:00.000-04:00

Day 18 - Antiqued Silver & Red

Day 19 - Deco Egg

Day 20 - Eternal Knot

Day 21 - Measure Twice

Day 22 - Garden Fairy

Day 23 - Variations on Sparkle

Day 24 - Morning Glory

Day 25 - La Llama

Day 26 - Circus Circus

This is turning out to be a very fun challenge...and a great way to use those one of a kind beads that seem to get stuck in a jar or a drawer...it's time for them to be liberated into some charms.

A Charm A Day...catching up

2011-07-12T16:06:00.000-04:00

Day 7 - Deco Fan

the back of the same charm

Day 8 - Looking West

Day 9 - Fireworks for the 4th of July

Day 10 - Jeweltones

Day 11 - Captured Silver

Day 12 - Dragonflies & Bees

Day 13 - Golden Spirals

Day 14 - Dreams of Paris

Day 15 - Sunny Sunday

Day 16 - Floral Eggs

Day 17 - Golden Treasure

All caught up now on my CAD venture...

working on a hard to write post...

will be back with that when I'm able.

A Charm A Day...week 1

2011-07-01T10:44:00.000-04:00

Day 2 - Hearts

Day 3 - Gabriela's Heart

Gabriela is a dear friend of mine who lives in Mexico City...she sent me the heart bead above & I love it made into a charm. It makes me think of her whenever I see it.

Day 4 - Hearts Fighting Breast Cancer

For all of those actively fighting, who valiantly fought or who have won their fight...my heart is with you.

Day 5 - Peace

Day 6 - Red & Gold

I know this isn't quite an entire week of charms, but I'll be back next week with more. I'm having fun with these & until I decide what to make with them, I am keeping them in a vintage aqua canning jar with a zinc lid...it will be fun to see my collection grow in there.

Enjoy your holiday weekend...I hope you have great weather, good food & lots of fun.

A Charm A Day...Day 1

2011-06-26T14:03:00.000-04:00

Some of us from the ArtCharms Yahoo group are making "A Charm A Day" (CAD). I certainly have enough beads & other supplies to do this...and it does sound like fun. Since I generally do most of my creative stuff at night when I can't sleep anyway, I'm sure most of mine will be "A Charm A Night" instead.

I originally signed up to do July & then I'll see if I decide to do more, but many people have already started, so I had to join in on the fun. Seems like a great way to play with those one of a kind beads or components we all seem to have. I'm not sure what I'll do with my charms, but I can always figure that out later.

I'm not sure I'll post a charm here each day...maybe I'll do a week at a time...we'll see as we go along.

Today's charm is "Imagine"...to inspire me to imagine making a charm a day.

A few new charms

2011-06-24T07:27:00.001-04:00

I know this charm would creep out my friend Tracy, but I happen to like spiders. I have a connection to them, and have used them in quite a few pieces of artwork. It has to do with my life as a weaver & spinner...something I haven't done for years. But I'll always love spiders. I especailly loved the wonderful webs we would get out on our balcony in CA...so pretty with just a bit of dew on them & the artful weaver sitting somewhere in that web.

I also love bird nests...another skillfully woven masterpiece, made to lay eggs & raise those baby birds until they can fly away on their own. I used a pre-rusted wire for this...it was a bit of a challenge to weave the wire in & out to hold the nest together, but I can see making more of these in the future. My needle nose pliers became a good friend while creating this nest.

I'm a member of the ArtCharms group on Yahoo...and every Thursday night, there is an on-line chat. Most Thursday nights, I forget about it...but last week I remembered to go into the chat. We talked about finding the time to create & also about some swap ideas. I'm not sure how we got onto the topic, but the idea of postage stamps in mica came up & someone asked me to post an example of that...so the last charm above is the one I just made. My friend Kimber sent me a bunch of bird image postage stamps & I selected the one above for my charm. I have a love-hate relationship with mica, but this one turned out ok.

And yes, once again I forgot about the chat last night.

So that's some of what I've been playing with this week...what have you been up to?

And the winner is.....

2011-06-16T15:39:00.001-04:00

So all the names went into a basket & we have a winner...Francine! Francine was one of the commenters whose message would not post, but she emailed me her comment & I was able to post it as "anonymous". She also left her recipe for pulled pork...done in a crock pot. Sounds yummy...we LOVE pulled pork, although we were spoiled from our time living in Dallas...there's nothing better than real Texas BBQ!

Francine, I'm emailing you privately to get your mailing address...and congratulations! Enjoy your little package of summer when it arrives.

And to all of you who visited & left a comment...thank you! I had lots of fun reading them & will definitely do giveaways from time to time...they're lots of fun for me, too.
xo
Debbie
===^..^===
who thinks her computer time today may be limited...the skies are getting darker & the winds are picking up...definitely a storm on the way. Bummer.

It's June...time for a Summer Giveaway!

2011-06-01T13:47:00.003-04:00

How did it get to be June already? Inquiring minds want to know. But since SUMMER is now upon us, I've gathered up some fun summer stuff to share. I need some summer fun...and a new roof on the house...but that part's no fun. Having a pity party here about that roof thing.

Here's what I've packaged up to share for this Summer funfest. Some of my hand dyed ribbons in summery ocean colors...a big shell...a tin filled with ocean shades of beads & charms...a fishy art charm...a summery bottle cap magnet & a pendant that features a bottle filled with sand & shells. Stuff that reminds me of when we actually lived close enough to the Pacific to go down there & experience those ocean breezes. Somehow going to the shores of Lake Erie here isn't anywhere near the same experience.

Entering is easy...just leave a comment here on this blog post. Summer is the time to sit back & relax...just share your favorite summer fun activity...or a quick & easy summer recipe...or a summer drink recipe...alcohol encouraged...or just tell me you're too busy chillin' to think. Be sure I can access your email addy, so that if you win, I can let you know.

Enter through June 15th...I'll pick a winner on the 16th so I can take your package to the PO that weekend.

Here's to fun summer days!

********************************************************

I have had emails saying that some comments would not publish. If that happens to you, please email me directly with Summer Giveaway in the subject line & I will add you into the drawing. I'll be putting all names into a basket to pick the winner.

Memorial Day

2011-05-29T11:25:00.000-04:00

This is an ATC I made years ago...it seems fitting for Memorial Day. It is easy to get caught up in the festivities of the "official" start of the summer season, but always remember those who sacrificed their lives...and who continue to do so even now...so we can enjoy the freedom we do today.

More swaps...

2011-05-27T07:24:00.000-04:00

I've got some other stuff going on right now...not such fun stuff...but I have done some pieces for swaps that I can share with you. The Chotski pin above is for a swap at Red Lead Paperworks...there is still time to participate in this one...you can get the details by joining their Yahoo group here.

The due date is June 18, 2011.

I've also done more art charms for the swaps in the ArtCharms group. The first swap was charms made with wood being the main element. I did 2 different charms for this one...here are my spools of thread.

And my Chinese Lanterns.

The next swap was fabric & fibers. I simply HAD to join in this one...so much of my life has involved these things. I did 2 different charms for this one, too...it breaks up the monotony of doing so many of the same charm.

The charms above feature sari fibers with some red glass beads & hearts. I love the textures & colors.

And the charms above are made from some felted balls that a friend graciously shared with me awhile back. There are seed beads sewn onto them & they are finished off with some funky glass rings that have dots on them. I like these a lot.

So that's what I've been up to between going into the basement when a terrible storm rolled through...with a VERY unhappy kitty who did not want to be there at all...and sending good energy to the people who have suffered such terrible losses with all these storms & tornadoes. Be safe, y'all.

Ribbon Rainbows

2011-05-19T09:28:00.001-04:00

I certainly cannot get enough of this ribbon dyeing thing...and hopefully it still interests you, too. I have just listed 4 limited edition "Ribbon Rainbows" in my Etsy shop, KittenCreates. Each collection is unique as it consists of 9 pieces of my hand dyed ribbon, with each piece being approximately 1 yard long.

Due to the way I dye the ribbons, I can get close in color from time to time, but I don't get the exact same color again...so if you need more than a yard per color, the original ribbons are the way to go. But since variety is the spice of life...I'll be offering these rainbows of ribbons from time to time.

I recently added some new color combos to my original ribbon assortment, too. How about Ice Cream Sundae? These colors look yummy enough to eat.

Or maybe some Mixed Berries are more your style.

I hope you'll pop on over to my shop to see if any of these ribbons are ones you need...and I have some handcrafted charms, jewelry & book thongs, too.

Don't forget that my friend Melody is having a giveaway of 2 sets of my original ribbons on her blog. Today she posted pix & instructions for a mobile she created using my ribbons. Be sure to go over there to enter to win...just leave a comment on her blog post from the link above by Monday, May 23rd...she will announce the winners on May 24th. Best of luck to all of you!

Another fabulous swap...

2011-05-13T15:16:00.000-04:00

We're just wrapping up our Mother's Day Vintage Brooch swap over at A Swap for All Seasons. Linda, our swap hostess, comes up with the most fabulous ideas for swaps...and if you're ever thinking of trying a swap, this is a good one. The next swap will be announced on June 1st...and it's a Birthday Card Swap...that sounds like fun. I wonder if we'll be making cards or if we'll be swapping vintage birthday cards...we'll know in a couple weeks.

My partner for the Mother's Day Vintage Brooch swap was the very talented Thespa from Vintiquities Workshop. The wonderful brooch above is the one she sent me & it's awesome...so much texture & dimension. Don't you love how she has pinned it to an altered seed packet, too?

As I opened my package, I had to giggle about the tissue paper inside...it has lots of little palm trees on it...my very favorite trees!!! No palm trees in OH...well, except for our faux palm tree floor lamp & the small one in our kitchen window. Inside of that special tissue paper was this beautiful package...

Isn't the flower pot awesome? I love turquoise & vintage, so it's perfect for me. See those goodies inside?

Lots of treasures were packed inside.

In addition to the beautiful brooch, Thespa created a lovely floral pin with the sweetest little gold brooch attached to the front of it. And all wrapped up in a gauzy bag was the dahlia to plant. I opened the plastic bag it arrived in & it's already starting to show a stem & leaves...I'll be getting that into a pot soon...for some outside color this summer. Thespa tells me she picked the dahlia both for it's gorgeous color & for the way it mimics the vintage brooch she sent. Brilliant!

Thanks, Thespa...it's been fun getting to know you & swapping with you. That's the best part about Linda's swaps...many of them assign you a partner & you get to meet a new person with similar ideas & creativity...that's the real treasure from her swaps.

Now here's what I sent to Thespa...

I guess we both were thinking turquoise...I altered a book shaped box for her. Had to add a paper flower with just a bit of bling, too.

Inside the box was the brooch I picked out for Thespa. It's one that was my maternal Grandma's...I picked it for the bling & for the fact it was set in a silver tone setting...Thespa said she preferred silver to gold. I'm a silver girl, too...so I understand. I pinned it to a vintage doily from my collection.

And here's a closeup look at the brooch. One of my favorites, now passed on to it's new home with my new friend. Thanks to Thespa & to Linda for dreaming up such a wonderful swap.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T11:16:00.000-04:00

I love this vintage photo of my Aunt Lonnie with my cousin, Sally. Aunt Lonnie was my Godmother...and the perfect choice for me as she had quite the attitude! Although she was my aunt by marriage to my Uncle Ed...Mom's brother...I was & still am a lot like her. Aunt Lonnie died from breast cancer in the early 1980s...I had just moved to San Diego at the time...and I still miss her.

I really love the look on her face here...like she'd rather be anywhere else except watching this baby!!! That would have been me...except I knew early on that I was not cut out for motherhood. Well...unless the "baby" was cute, furry and meowed.

Sophie Cat sends her best to all the Moms out there...

& I hope you're as spoiled today as our sweet Sophie Cat is!

I actually WON something!!!

2011-05-05T13:54:00.000-04:00

Yep...I entered a blog giveaway & actually WON!!! I don't often win a thing, so this is big news here. The wonderful, generous blogger is Alison of Dishy Vintage. Be sure to visit her blog for some great eye candy...and if you are into vintage lace & linens, there are links to a couple of her Etsy shops in her sidebar, too. Thanks, again, Alison for your wonderful giveaway...I'll have lots of fun creating with these laces.

Now if we could only win the Mega Millions so we can escape this O-HELL-O place & get back to sunny Southern CA...and get our Hippie Art Commune going...it's our dream.

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!!!

Remember those killed at Kent State...41 years ago today

2011-05-04T07:57:00.001-04:00

13 seconds...
67 gun shots...
9 wounded...
4 dead at Kent State University...May 4, 1970

In memory of...
Jeffrey Miller
Allison Krause
Bill Schroeder
Sandy Scheuer
All murdered by the Ohio National Guard...41 years ago today

We must NEVER forget. May they Rest in Peace...they died far too young because of young Ohio National Guard members who fired live ammunition to break up a lawful rally on an Ohio university campus. Governor James Rhodes has blood on his hands. He deserves no peace.

You can learn more about that turbulent time here in The Burr.

Want to win some of my Hand Dyed Ribbon?

2011-05-03T15:59:00.000-04:00

My dear friend, Melody Nunez, is having a giveaway on her blog. Melody's blog is a delight...and so is she. We worked together in CA & hit it off immediately...what a treasure to find such a good friend.

When Melody asked if I'd be interested in sponsoring a giveaway on her blog, I immediately said yes. So go sign up and tell her I sent you! You can enter through Monday, May 23, 2011. She will announce the lucky winners on Tuesday, May 24th.

Be sure to spend some time looking around her blog...you'll find Melody's stunning photography, delightful stories of her adventures, and even a recipe or two.

Who knows...I might just get inspired to have another giveaway here soon, too. Could happen. Stay tuned.

So did you watch the Royal Wedding?

2011-04-29T11:28:00.000-04:00

I did...and I thought Kate...oops...Catherine...looked quite beautiful & elegant. A gorgeous gown fit for a Princess. Two kisses on the balcony...apparently a first for the Royals...definitely a new generation of the British Monarchy.

Queen Elizabeth looked great in her yellow ensemble. Someone on CNN called the color Marigold. A yummy buttery yellow to my eye...I think of more fiery hot yellow to orange & red shades for marigolds. Gotta love her matching hat, too!

Speaking of hats...oh good grief...so many hats! Some of them seemed to defy gravity...they must have been pinned on with a ton of pins. I wonder if the women at the Kentucky Derby will be copying any of them.

I had some friends here with me as I watched the wedding...

Little Taco...in the back...all gray with a touch of taupe...& Sweet Churro...gray & white with little touches of taupe. Rescued Tuesday evening...and going to the shelter to meet up with their foster Mom this afternoon. We can't keep these sweeties as our little old lady Sophie Cat is quite upset by their presence...but it's been an adventure to care for them this short while. More on them soon.

Phil slept through the wedding...I was the one cuddling these kittens who were sort of sleeping in my arms...they were the perfect wedding guests.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T06:33:00.000-04:00

No, this isn't a Christmas tree that is still up. This is our faux palm tree that resides in our living room year round. I tried to get pix of the entire tree, but with gloomy Ohio days, they simply did not turn out. So here is a snippet of what our Palm tree looks like this Easter.

The pink flamingo is a Parma joke...because back in the 50s-60s, so many people here had those plastic pink flamingoes in their front yard. My dear friend Kimber sent it to me one Christmas & it's one of the only ornaments that is lightweight enough for the branches on this tree. I love the big round multi-color lights on the palm tree, and some spring cleaning unearthed a stash of plastic eggs that Mom had purchased who-knows-when. These eggs actually had a small hole in the top of each one, so I strung some linen thread into them, making a hanging loop. Added a layer of torn bits of kraft colored tissue paper, adhered with fluid matte medium...and painted the eggs in bright colors. Then they needed polka dots...so a sponge dauber did the trick. My idea of decorating for Easter is done!

I wish y'all a Happy Easter...may the Easter Bunny bring you a basket of sweet treats!

A Vintage Bunny Image to Share

2011-04-22T12:53:00.000-04:00

This Momma Bunny looks a little dazed & confused...but I just found her in some stuff from an ephemera swap...and had to share her with all of you. I figure you can right click to get a menu to save her...at least on a PC...I'm not sure how a Mac works. She might just be the perfect touch as you get your final prep done for Easter.

Me...I'm painting some papier mache eggs to hang on our year round kitschy palm tree...the first few years we were here we used it as our Christmas tree & after that first Christmas, we just had to leave it up year round...so much better for us than a traditional lamp. Pix of it in all it's Easter Eggy glory will be shared for Easter.

Happy Earth Day to Y'all...

More pretty ribbons...

2011-04-19T16:42:00.000-04:00

So...one day I was talking to my my dear friend, Tracy...who has no blog, even though she's an amazing artist & should have one...***hint...hint...hint***

Anyway...Tracy was saying she wanted to find some 1/4" ribbon like the 1/2" ribbon that we've been dyeing. Tracy also dyes ribbons & hers are completely different from mine, which is lots of fun & shows the diversity of an art supply in the hands of 2 different people. Well, I ordered some 1/4" rayon ribbon...and now need to order more as that first 100 yards was dyed up in an evening. The thinner ribbon is more expensive than the wider stuff...but it is just as much fun to play with.

Of course, I had to wind some of the ribbon onto some vintage spools that were hiding in a big old oatmeal container that I got from my grandparents' basement...complete with the spools inside.

The ribbons at the top & below are looped onto a "bone" ring...one of the many old sewing & crochet supplies I have around here...they are just so pretty to look at.

Right now, I'm enjoying just having my newest ribbons sitting around in my studio...and I'm contemplating adding some to my Etsy shop...although they would need to be at a higher pricepoint than my original ribbons. What do you think? I'm thinking I need to order some more ribbon!

We have a winner!

2011-04-17T09:50:00.000-04:00

You may remember this little Easter Giveaway that I posted awhile ago...

My random number generator...aka my sweetie, Phil, woke up in the middle of the night so I asked him to give me a number between 1 and 19...and he said 12...and Cher was the 12th one to share her Easter memory...so she wins! Congrats, Cher...I'll send you an email so you're sure to see that you've won...so email me with your mailing info & I will get your Easter goodies sent out to you ASAP.

Here's what Cher wrote as her favorite Easter memory:
"Hi..one of my favs was the year my kids won an Easter Egg hunt... they were so happy! and surprised... had no idea what they were winning just thrilled to win... then we saw the prize... A huge basket filled to the brim with wonderful chocolates...all in different foils...so so pretty.. you didn't want to touch it... and along side of it? A 3 foot tall foil wrapped solid chocolate bunny.. we laughed ...as my kids were not much bigger than the bunnny! Needless to say...we had lots of chocolate to share and then some."

Well, I for one would have loved a 3 foot tall chocolate bunny as a kid...what kid wouldn't??? This little giveaway might not be as spectacular as a 3 foot tall chocolate bunny, but it is a fun little prize.

Thanks to all of you for sharing your Easter memories. If you haven't gone back to read all the comments, you should...lots of great memories were shared. Big bunny hugs to all...only one more week until the Easter Bunny visits...here...we've been eating Easter candy for awhile.

And Happy Passover to all my Jewish friends. Passover begins at sundown on Monday, April 18, 2011. As you celebrate Passover…may you be blessed with peace and happiness!

New ribbons in my Etsy Shop

2011-04-14T16:24:00.002-04:00

I've been busy today adding lots of new ribbons to my Etsy Shop, KittenCreates. No long, wordy post today...just lots of pretty ribbons. Please stop by to take a look. My ribbon dyeing addiction & I thank you very much!

UPDATE: The first 3 sets of ribbons shown are gone already!

Don't forget to enter a comment on the post below telling me your favorite Easter memory & you might win a goodie package...the Easter Bunny tells me some of my yummy ribbons will be enclosed.

A Quick Easter Giveaway!

2011-04-13T00:58:00.000-04:00

I couldn't sleep again last night...a common thing for me. Since I cannot just sit there, I saw some Easter embellishments I had pulled out when I made my tags for the Red Lead swap & decided to make a little Easter matchbox.

The little resin bunnies are definitely in love...all surrounded by pretty posies.

There is a resin Happy Easter egg on the top of the little matchbox, too.

You've seen this little charm in a previous post about my Spring Flowers swap...and I added one of these to the giveaway.

For the third item in the giveaway, I added this sweet vintage Easter card...given to me in 1957. I'll probably throw in some of my yummy hand dyed ribbons, too, as a little bonus.

Since there's not much time until Easter, this giveaway will be limited to players in the USA. To win, you just need to comment on this post & tell me one of your favorite Easter memories. My fondest Easter memory is of coloring eggs with my Dad...Mom would hard cook the eggs & then one evening, Bob & I would "help" Dad dye the eggs. We always used that oil based egg color kit, where you dropped the colors onto the surface of cold water, then took a toothpick & swirled them around for a marble effect. Then you bent the little wire that supported the egg as it was slowly lowered into the bowl of water, dragging it through the colors as it went under the surface. Then you had to blow to get any remaining dye off the water where you were pulling up the egg...and you had a little swirled marble-effect Easter Egg for the bunny to hide. It was 1950s suburbia at it's finest.

You only have through Saturday night to enter. Whenever I get up on Sunday, I'll assign a number to each comment & pick a winner. I will announce the winner here on Sunday & also email the winner so he or she can send me their mailing address & I'll get the prize in the mail on Monday via USPS First Class.

I'm really looking forward to reading your Easter memories...and feel free to tell others about this giveaway...the more the merrier.

Happy Birthday, Bob!

2011-04-10T13:25:00.001-04:00

Happy Happy 55th Birthday to my Baby Brother, Bob!

It's hard to believe, but the cute little guy above is 55 years old today. There are just the 2 of us kids in the family...and I was the first born. Bob followed about three & a half years later.

Now, it was no secret around here that I wanted a baby SISTER. As the story goes, the day they brought Bob home from the hospital, I threw a temper tantrum & threw myself against the front door to block him coming in here. Somehow, I never questioned that story! Sounds like something this little Prima Donna of a formerly Only Child would do. My Grandma had to pull me away from the door so Mom & Dad could bring Bob inside. That's my maternal Grandma above...holding Bob...and you see I had to hog a lot of the picture. Either I'm happy or screaming...it's hard to tell.

As the years went on, it turned out that having a kid brother could be quite useful. I was skillful at getting him in trouble...he got blamed for a lot of stuff I did because, well, I told them "Bob did it!".
How could that angelic little Debbie do all those things? heheheheeeeee!!!

Grandma lived with us & after she died & I moved into her room to have a room of my own, my secret was revealed. One of my favorite ways to get Bob in trouble was that since we were in the same room, I'd sing in bed & tell stories to keep us both awake...I've always been a night person. Mom or Dad would holler for us to shut up & go to sleep & my standard answer was "Bob's keeping me awake!" Well, the first night he had the room alone, he went to bed & fell right asleep. As you can guess...I was the one still awake & talking & singing hours later...to myself...and my secret was out.

Now that we're older & both out on our own...I can't get Bob into trouble any longer.
I kinda miss doing that!

Happy Birthday, Bobadillo! May you enjoy many many more in the years to come.

Spring Flowers Charm Swap

2011-04-09T18:53:00.001-04:00

I've really been in the mood for SPRING...and it just refuses to stick around here in the Clevetown area...so I've occupied my time indoors by designing Spring Flower charms for a swap my friend Bev is hosting in the ArtCharms Yahoo group. I'm not yet sure how many I'll need to make as you can still join in through April 15th. Charms are due by May 15th. If you want to play, join the group here. Then you read the requirements & sign up in the Database.

The charms above are my Captured Flowers. I love using these little glass bottles with corks for art charms. They're from SkyBluePink. I arranged tiny little faux leaves & posies inside & glued the bottle shut with Glossy Accents. Added a very tiny little eye screw to the top for hanging & embellished the charm with a bit of pearl link chain & a tiny leaf charm. Each one has different posies captured inside...a fun little art charm.

This little bouquet is another idea I've played with. The flowers are constructed from seed beads & plastic flower parts & the leaves are also plastic. Looks like spring to me.

This last design is lots of fun, too. The Spring Daisy is a plastic "Lalique" flower shape that SkyBluePink is no longer able to get and her "Queen's Jewels", which you can find in MANY colors in her shop. I added the glass leaves...one to the bottom hole & one so it hangs in back...and all it needed was a tiny jump ring so that the larger jump ring would be facing the right way for attaching it to a bracelet or necklace.

I'm working on a bracelet made with a bunch of these Spring Daisies now...when it's done & photos have been taken, I'll put it up for sale in my Etsy shop.

BTW...the beautiful embroidery background is a vintage cotton pillowcase that is a favorite of mine. It was a gift to my Mom & Dad for their wedding in 1951. She never used them, but I indulge occasionally. They're too pretty to just sit in a closet.

Enjoy your weekend & thanks for visiting my little blog. Be creative however & whenever you can...at least once a day is my recommendation!

Hello Spring! Tag Swap...done!

2011-03-27T14:22:00.000-04:00

The Art Swap Sisters at Red Lead Paperworks are at it again...there's always a fun swap going on in that group. You can sign up to join the Yahoo group here. The latest swap is Hello Spring! tags...and since Spring has teased us a few times, but Old Man Winter isn't moving out yet...I needed some spring relief from the frigid cold we cannot seem to escape.

Tags are a fun way to make small collages & use some fun embellishments...like Easter Grass from last year's basket. The little eggs in the nest above are simply plastic speckled eggs that I had leftover from a fatbook page years ago...and I dyed them up using some Ranger Alcohol Inks. That cute little chickie was a little goodie from when I ordered some paper posies awhile back...and it's great to find a use for it.

My last tag above is way more embellished than my usual style...but it works...the ribbon roses were a gift from my previous swap with Sandy in A Swap for All Seasons...thanks for those, Sandy! The filigree butterfly is another Red Lead beauty.

And last but not least...the bows are my own hand dyed ribbons...I just can't get enough of those! I'll be listing more to my Etsy shop today or tomorrow.

There's still time to join in the fun of this swap...join the Red Lead Yahoo group & sign up...tags are due before April 25, 2011. Each person who plays will also get this adorable little Buttercup Bunny stamp...a Red Lead exclusive image.

Until next time...be creative & make time for some art every day!

I'm addicted to dyeing...

2011-03-19T10:50:00.000-04:00

This is the rainbow of ribbons that is drying on my kitchen counter this morning. You should FEEL them...the tactile experience is awesome & the colors are spectacular. I'm an addict. This is almost an entire 100 yard bolt of white ribbon, dyed up last night & into the wee hours of the morning.

As soon as I figure out some color combos...and dye some more, of course, they will be up for sale in my Etsy shop, KittenCreates. Hop on over sometime...help support my habit if you can! I'll send lots of love with my ribbons, too.

A gift for St. Patrick's Day...

2011-03-17T16:54:00.000-04:00

And what a fine gift it is, indeed! A bit of natural green, embellished with shades of lavender & yellow...a welcome sight for sure to give me hope that SPRING will be here soon. It's even 67 & sunny today...but the air is still a bit too chilly for me. I can't wait for balmy breezes...even if they no longer come to me off the Pacific Ocean.

These crocus bloom quite faithfully each March...over the years they have naturalized throughout the front lawn of this house. I remember the first year they came up all over the lawn...the summer before, my Dad had planted a new lawn & in tilling the soil, he had chopped up Mom's crocus bulbs with the tiller...so we didn't know if we'd even have crocus the folowing spring. They used to be in a circle in the middle of the yard...I'm not sure why, but they were. Much better scattered casually across the entire lawn, I think.

Until next time...enjoy these crocus that have grown into a free form heart...Springtime Love!

It's beginning to look a lot like Easter!

2011-03-12T13:24:00.000-05:00

Well, even with the heavy snow that got dumped on us yesterday, I'm trying to think SPRING around here. I used to decorate like crazy for Easter, but now I've edited my collection down & I'm selling the rest over in my Etsy Shop. I've listed just a few things to get started.

This adorable little musical bunny is one I made back in 1983...when I did a lot of sewing of pretty little things. My creative style has changed, but I have to admit, this bunny is still terribly cute. She's all handcrafted & has a wind-up music box that plays a bit of "Easter Parade". She's wearing her Easter bonnet in the spirit of the music & of her favorite springtime holiday.

Her little friend is in need of a new home, too. Created around the same time in the early 1980s, he's good & plump & just too cute.

Then over in my jewelry category, I recently created this bracelet full of hand painted floral eggs. The eggs are wooden & make a delightful soft noise as you move your wrist.

Then because it's just too early to start dyeing eggs, I've been busy dyeing ribbons. And tags. Oh my! This is just one of a collection that's also available in my Etsy Shop, KittenCreates. They're the same ribbons that I love to use to add a special touch to gifts, and people who have received some tell me it's great stuff. I know I love the colors & crinkled texture of these ribbons & I hope you will, too.

Now all I have to do is wait for Spring to really arrive here in NE Ohio...this snow is starting to melt, but that doesn't mean it will be our last...after all, Clevetown is where your baseball home opener can be called on account of SNOW...in APRIL!

I'm hoping for the snow to be over once this stuff melts...when it melted recently, I could see the crocus & narcissus starting to poke their little green shoots out of the ground. Spring...I can't wait!

Swapping with my Red Lead Art Sisters...

2011-03-07T16:04:00.000-05:00

After a bit of a hiatus from art swaps, I needed to get back into the swing of things & the "Welcome to my Cottage" swap sponsored by the girls at Red Lead Paperworks was simply irresistable.

Each Swap Sister is taking 3 of these chipboard cottages & altering & embellishing them to create artsy bits of springtime beauty. Since SPRING cannot come soon enough for me, this was just the thing to have me really thinking of warmer days & nature springing back to life after the all too long & bleak doldrums of winter. Winter in NE Ohio lasts for half of the year...and one day of it is too much for me!

My favorite of the cottages I created is the "let yourself fly" one above. We feed the birds here all winter long, but soon there will be even more of them around & the dogwood in our backyard will begin to bloom. It truly is one of the most beautiful sights after a dead winter.

My other 2 little cottages are shown below. They will all be mailed in to the Red Lead Swap Sisters & I'll receive 3 cottages from others in return...along with a vintage paper pack as a gift for playing. You can't beat that. You should play with us sometime...the Yahoo group can be found by clicking on the button at the top of my sidebar. Sign up for the weekly newsletter, too...all sorts of great ideas & often a contest to enter to win a fabulous goodie bag. From the shop home page, just click Mailing List & you can sign up.

Counting the days until SPRING...we've been teased with some warmer weather & snow melting, but that ugly snow stuff came back over the weekend...we've had snow as late as April here...which is a cruel, cruel joke by Mother Nature! Let's hope that groundhog was right & it's an early spring.

I swapped with a Texas Cowgirl...

2011-02-22T21:13:00.000-05:00

This is the mini fabric collage I created for my swap partner, Nancy. Nancy lives in Texas...near Austin...and is a member of The Paper Cowgirls. So after reading her blog & getting to know her favorite colors & all through a bunch of emails, I decided I'd use this image of me back around 1956 or so...all dressed up as a cowgirl. Well, almost all dressed up as a cowgirl...I never did get the cowgirl boots, so Mary Janes it was. I always wanted to be a cowgirl...or an artist...but being a cowgirl was my secret dream. Don't you LOVE that I was allowed to play with a rope to lasso critters? Gotta love the 1950s in suburbia.

I got my love for cowgirls & cowboys from hours spent watching Westerns on TV with my Grandma. She lived with us and I adored her. Now the story goes that she had a record player in her room & that I would spend hours dancing in front of her full length mirror singing along to "The Yellow Rose of Texas". When Phil & I moved to Dallas, he came home one of our first days there with a yellow rose for me. I guess for 2 years I was a Yellow Rose of Texas at last.

So Nancy's collage has fabrics from the 1970s or 80s in pink & turquoise...two of her very favorite colors. There's a row of yellow roses, of course...and lots of buttons to frame the image. I decided to add the hanger so she could display her piece right away if she wanted to.

And this is the back of her collage. Nancy also loves red as an accent to turquoise & pink...and I had just enough of the pink & red fabric to make a little quilted heart & add a heart charm. There is a thin batting sandwiched inside the front & back of the collage, so it's almost like a little quilt.

Nancy has a wonderful blog called My Crafty Little Page. You should visit her when you have some time. She also posted the wonderful fabric collage she gifted to me here in her "California Girl" post. It's a great piece of bright Hippie, Dia de los Muertos & CA artwork that hangs in my studio, right across from my work surface so I can see it as I create. Thanks again, Nancy...I adore my collage!

Of course, in the spirit of "rules were made to be broken", I also made Nancy a little necklace with another of her favorite things...a bluebird.

Had to wrap it in a little matchbox giftbox, too...just because I could.

Thanks to Linda for her excellent idea to swap mini fabric collages & for organizing another great Swap for All Seasons...be sure to check out that blog to see links to other fabulous collages created for lots of happy swappers. I can't wait for the Spring swap...it gets announced on March 20...the first day of SPRING!!!

Happy Valentine's Day !

2011-02-14T01:19:00.000-05:00

With LOVE to all on this Valentine's Day. I hope your day is special...and don't forget to hug your furry 4-legged friends, too.

Crying into their Terrible Towels...

2011-02-06T23:53:00.000-05:00

OK...so we weren't crying...don't even like Pittsburgh here in Clevetown...but The Super Bowl is a good reason to party with fun little appetizer type foods. And it turned out to be a good game. And it's a lot less stressful when you really don't care who wins.

But this post isn't really about football at all. This post is about the yummy little morsels pictured above. I took a pic immediately out of the oven because soon there would be little evidence these even existed.

EVIDENCE: Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Thingies, courtesy of the recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

So my fingers burned for the entire game because while jalapeños usually don't bother me, there were some powerfully hot & stubborn veins in these. It was worth the pain, however...as the end result was soooooooooooooo good.

I suffer for my art & my food!

The game is over...The Green Bay Packers won...and all of these little yummies are now just a fond memory. We also had some great chicken wings with Panda Express Orange Chicken sauce glazing them...thank you for the sauce, Kimber! Oh and beer...gotta have BEER! But the little bacon wrapped cream cheezy bits of peppery goodness were definitely the star of the show. The good news is that there are jalapeños, bacon & cream cheese left in the fridge...as well as some uncooked wings...so we can have another evening of grazing soon.

My sympathies to my on-line friends Bev & Joy...Steeler fans for sure. Y'all will get over it...and it could be worse...your hometown team could be the Cleveland Clowns...or Browns...nope...definitely Clowns!

Happy Chinese New Year!

2011-02-03T01:10:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! It's the start of the Lunar New Year and this year is the Year of the Rabbit. From what I have read, Rabbit years are usually calm, creative & positive, which is a welcome thing for all of us, I think.

My sweetie, Phil & one of my best friends, Dianne, are both Rabbits. Rabbits are said to be private & a bit reserved, but also enjoy the company of good friends. They do need their private space. They are usually quite calm and avoid confrontation. That is Phil for sure! I'm the confrontational Dragon...so I guess we're Yin & Yang there. Rabbits are also talented & artistic, which describes both Phil & Di.

I know my rabbit image in the card above is really a Japanese rabbit...but I've taken artistic license since I do adore that image. It is from Hero Arts back in 2000 & is called Haiku Bunny. The Chinese zodiac charm is from SkyBluePink, one of my favorite websites for great embellishments & unusual supplies at great prices. Tell Queen Xina that Lady Debbie sent you! The charm actually has Dragons on the other side, so I need to get some more to use next year in my Year of the Dragon artwork.

Here's to a happy & prosperous & extremely creative Year of the Rabbit to all!

My new Etsy shop is now open!

2011-01-31T15:47:00.000-05:00

I have finally taken the plunge and opened a shop on Etsy. You can find me at KittenCreates.

Right now, there are some of my handcrafted bracelets for sale, and I will be adding more items as I go along. With the gloomy winter skies, my photography is somewhat "light challenged", but I'm doing the best I can. I will also be listing individual charms, some necklaces, vintage treasures & destash from my bursting at the seams studio.

I would love to have you visit and let me know what you think. My book thongs are still in my Artfire shop, but I will be moving them over eventually.

Thanks for your time...and maybe you'll find the perfect gift for a loved one or for yourself in my shop.

A Swap for All Seasons...a Mini Fabric Collage

2011-01-06T13:09:00.000-05:00

I have not been able to participate in art swaps for a few months now due to personal health reasons. I'm still being extremely selective as to what I choose to play in. One major requirement for the swaps I do this year is that I do NOT need to purchase specific items to participate in the swap, as medical expenses do not allow that luxury. Well, one swap I had to pass on due to my health was A Swap For All Seasons. The holiday swap deadline was when I was unable to even sit at my art table due to the pain in my legs, so I had to pass on it. The Winter Swap is a different story, however. All the words in the swap title are interesting to me...Mini...Fabric...Collage. What's not to like?

One thing I have lots & lots of is fabric. My first buying job at Halle Bros. department store was as Buyer for Fashion Fabrics, Sewing Notions, Patterns & Art Needlework. Be still my heart! Buying fabric is an inherited family affliction...I have fabric & laces & buttons & all that from my Mom's stash. I even have pieces of very vintage cotton fabrics that my Grandma purchased...she would buy 6 yards at a time of cottons...they were 36" wide at the time & she knew she could make what she wanted to from 6 yards. I am lucky to have laces & buttons from Grandma, too...it all has been passed down through the females in that lineage...and I'm the lucky one now. Of course, over the years I have added MY favorites to my stash..I mean I simply HAD to...it was "research" for my fabric buyer job...yeah, that's my story & I'm sticking with it!

So...I signed up for this swap right away. What a delightful way to use some of my special stash...creating a mini fabric collage. Sign-ups continue until January 15th...or until the limit of 100 swappers has been reached. In less than a week, 55 of us have signed up...so if you are interested, the details are in the links above. Linda, our hostess with the mostess, does a great job of organizing these swaps & matching us each up with a partner to swap with. Thanks, Linda!

I have all sorts of ideas floating around in my head...but the big fun of this swap is in getting to know your swap partner through emails & visiting their blog...then creating something you think they will like. I'll wait until sign-ups are complete & I "know" my partner before I start pulling out inspiring bits & pieces to use for my collage. I may post a sneak peek or 2 here as I go along, but the final piece will not be revealed until after I know my partner has received her package...I sure don't want to spoil her surprise.

I now return to dealing with medical bills & such...can't ignore that task. See ya later, alligator.

My word for 2011

2011-01-04T12:36:00.000-05:00

I often see that other artists have chosen a word for the year...for some reason, a single word has ever hit me to make me want to make it my word for the year. Well, this year, a word jumped at me as I was sitting in my mess of a studio working on multiple things but not getting a single thing accomplished.

My word for 2011 is FOCUS.

EEK! That's going to be a tough one for me...I have always been one to have too many irons in the fire...too many ideas at once...I've always been good at multi-tasking. Had to in all my retail planning/management jobs. Juggling way too many balls at once, yet somehow being able to prioritize & get the most important ones done.

Fast forward to now...with no one even wanting to talk to me here about employment, it seems I've lost my ability to juggle & accomplish things. So...for 2011 I'm going to attempt to...

FOCUS on my goals & figure out new ways to make money & contribute to our expenses.

FOCUS on the art that satisfies my soul.

FOCUS on learning new things and completing projects, not just starting things that sit around.

FOCUS on getting healthy & staying healthy.

FOCUS on relationships & friendships.

FOCUS on organizing my studio...and the rest of this place.

FOCUS on selling many of my vintage collectibles.

FOCUS on purging the rest of this stuff through freecycle & more donations to charity.

FOCUS on attempting to be happy here in Ohio...although I don't hold much hope for that one!

Thankfully, Phil makes me very happy...and Sophie the Cat has both of our hearts...I'd be going insane here without them & my other best friends. Now if I could only find a gay boyfriend here...this is the first place I've lived since college where I haven't had a gay boyfriend or 2. Even in Dallas...at a macho building supply company...I had a gay boyfriend. Guess they're too smart to live in Parma, OH.

Do YOU have a word for 2011? I'd love to hear what it is. Add your blog address to your comments, too...maybe you'll get lots of new friends visiting your blog.

BTW...the wonderful eye & see the artist within image is from Red Lead Paperworks. If you haven't visited there, you should. The alphabet images are both from Stampington.

Happy 2011...and the 122nd Tournament of Roses Parade

2011-01-01T09:51:00.000-05:00

OK...if you've been here before, you know how much I miss Southern CA. And even though they are colder there than we are here this morning (what's with that???) I really miss SoCal on New Year's day. One of the LA TV stations, KTLA, plays the Rose Parade over & over again. All day long. So...you can just have it on & catch bits & pieces of it as the day progresses...and sit & watch once if you want to.

Civilized...as it should be. Oh...they're the BEST station for coverage of car chases, too. Miss the regular programming interrupted for coverage of car chases in SoCal. But I digress...

You can catch the Rose Parade here. Bob Eubanks & Stephanie Edwards do the play-by-play...that's MY idea of the Rose Parade. Here I'll be watching that very handsome Ahmed Hassan on HGTV..but later I'll need my Bob & Stephanie fix. It's great that now I can watch KTLA online. Paula Deen is the Grand Marshall, too. Yea!

We always do the pork & sauerkraut thing on New Year's Day...and even with my Austrian/Hungarian heritage, I hate sauerkraut & have to choke down the smallest fork full...always have. Well, to mix things up this year, our pork is coming in the shape of BBQ Baby Back Ribs...and the nasty sauerkraut will appear as Sauerkraut Balls...an appetizer thing I've only seen in NE Ohio. Even bought the balls from our favorite butcher, Thayer's...MUCH better, I think.

Be sure to check back here in the next day or so...we're also making the Astro Weenie Christmas Tree that Charles Phoenix introduced on his website...we even have little cocktail weenies to make it authentic. Ours are Cheddarwurst...hey, if you're eating all those veggies, you can have one unhealthy thing! Phil wants to make the Cherpumple...I'm not real excited about that one...but his Inchiezonya sounds good. heheheeheee!

Happy New Year, Y'all!

In case you NEED some inspiration

2010-12-28T09:31:00.001-05:00

Hey Y'all...
First of all, I'm thankful we did NOT get that snow that is paralyzing the East coast. We may even be in the 40s by New Year's with rain...but at least it won't be snow. Should melt the snow we have, too...now THAT would be a great way to start the New Year.

Next...while I usually like to work by myself when I'm creating, I've been quite interested in taking an online class that the wonderful Los Angeles artist, Mary Ann Moss, has been offering for some time now. I've never had the "extra" money...and it seems that everytime we do splurge on something we want instead of need, something needing major repairs breaks. Well, I'm keeping fingers & toes crossed this time, because as a Christmas/Birthday/Valentine's present, I am now signed up for her Remains of the Day online class.

If you click the class link on her blog, you will see that Mary Ann is offering her journal class, as well as her Stencilry class at reduced prices until 12/31/2010. Thanks, Mary Ann!

If you need a creative gift for yourself or someone you love, the time is right. I'll be creating & journaling my way through the depths of winter here...and I'll share my adventure results...but NOT the class info...as I go along.

This is a perfect class for me, as I can still work by myself, whenever I want to...which is most often in the middle of the night when I cannot sleep. Now to go clean through my piles & piles of paper & ephemera in preparation for assembling my first journal...yea!!!

BTW...my art piggy bank now has the goal of saving enough to be able to sign up for Kelly Kilmer's class, An Artist's Journal:365. Kelly's blog is another one just jam packed full of inspiration & information...she has info on tape, pens, acrylic mediums, books, and art journals...and she shares it all with us through her blog. Thanks to you, too, Kelly!
***Update...Many thanks to my friend Bev for her gift to me of Kelly's class!!! Love ya, Bev!***

Now go forth and seek artistic inspiration to start the New Year off right...I did.
Happy New Year!!!

Merry Christmas Y'all!

2010-12-24T09:20:00.000-05:00

We're still trimming the tree and have lots of yummy munchies & libations for grazing tonight for Christmas Eve...and scrumptious food & libations for the entire weekend, actually.
It will be a quiet Christmas with Phil, Me & Sophie Cat, just the way we like it.

With Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas to Y'all!

Getting better...with a Christmas update

2010-12-22T17:24:00.001-05:00

***UPDATE*** I spoke to Kimber on Christmas Eve. She is spending a few days in an extended care facility & hopes to be going home soon! It was great to hear her voice & get to speak to her directly. A great Christmas gift, for sure!===^..^===

Just a quick update, a few days overdue. Last I heard, Kimber is still in the hospital, but has been moved out of ICU and into a private room. She's still in the hospital, but improving, it seems. I'm hoping I can actually talk to her soon.

Thanks for all your prayers & positive energy...and Merry Christmas, y'all!

Prayers & positive energy are needed...

2010-12-14T17:06:00.000-05:00

I just found out that one of my best art friends is in the hospital & needs our prayers & positive energy.

Kimber and I have been exchanging mail art & email for at least 9 or more years. She lives in the Pacific Northwest & I was in Southern CA when we first met on-line & we've continued our correspondence since my move here. Kimber has a blog, A Journey in Creativity, which is always inspiring to visit. Many of you will know her from Yahoo groups & art swaps, too.

Kimber is in ICU, and has quite a battle ahead of her. If you are inspired to send good wishes her way, please email me for her address. I was the lucky recipient of many postcards & goodies from Kimber, as well as her Mom & niece during & after my hospital adventure in October & I know she would enjoy hearing from art friends. I'll post updates here from time to time as I get more info.

Kimber...we're pulling for you to fight through this & get stronger each day. I love ya, Kiddo! Sophie the Cat sends purrs & head butts, too.
xo
Debbie
===^..^===

I'd rather be in Southern CA...

2010-12-13T15:38:00.001-05:00

It's now all of 15 degrees F. here in Parma...with the wind chill it feels like 4!!! Winter snow storm warnings through Wednesday morning...it won't stop snowing & now the winds are blowing in off Lake Erie.

It's 77 today in Corona, CA...headed toward a lovely 85. Sunny, of course. A little warm for December for some, perhaps...but perfect for my liking. The photo here is Sophie the Cat enjoying a little sun on our balcony, which faced West...if you look closely at the railing above her, you'll see it's almost Christmas 1999, as the garland with it's big C9 bulbs is up, complete with red velvet bows. December & Christmas as it should be.

I'm trying to get into the mood to shape & then decorate our Christmas tree here...it sure would be easier there with the windows open, sun shining & warm breezes. We have no sun, of course...it's Clevetown after all. Snow is still falling & blowing around. I'm keeping the curtains closed so I don't even have to look at it.

This is our front porch today...as "decorated" as it's gonna get...I'll bet you can't even see the big candy canes with their red velvet bows from the street today. What a pathetic place to live.

Have I told y'all lately how much Ohio sucks??? Hell has truly frozen over & we live in it.

Make it STOP Snowing already!!!

2010-12-07T13:57:00.000-05:00

OK...enough with the SNOW already. It's the beginning of the worst possible nightmare I can have...well, aside from that one where I'm forced to be a daycare/preschool teacher...that's the absolute WORST!

I hate hate hate SNOW. I know many adore it...come & get all you want. FREE! I won't help you cart it away, sorry...it's way too cold out there for me...but I'll smile in delight as you get what you want & our snow goes away. The scene above is how ugly our backyard has become. Snow...dead trees...gloomy...no sun...simply depressing. If I could, I would hibernate until Spring. The big problem is, here in NE Ohio, this sh*t will be around through April...winter lasts half the year here.

Our Christmas should be sunny & warm...snow where it belongs to the north & east of us in the mountains of southern CA...with the windows open, dinner on the balcony, perhaps prepared on the grill...not here. But here we are...stuck in hell & it has frozen over. I've escaped from Ohio twice before...I just need to do it once more & I'll NEVER come back. Won't even think about it.

Maybe I'll wake up & all of this will be a bad dream...a horrible nightmare. Please, Santa...just take this nightmare away & give it to someone who wants the stuff. If you don't like to read whining about how disgusting snow & NE Ohio are...it's probably best you stop reading my blog until May...hopefully Spring will arrive by then. If not, I'll be raising whining to an art form!

Happy Hanukkah

2010-12-03T13:18:00.000-05:00

Or Chanuka...anyway, it's the Festival of Lights and we celebrate it as Phil is Jewish. We've had this brass Tree of Life Menorah for years...I bought it shortly after Phil & I started living together in Columbus, OH. It's covered in multi-color wax drippings from lighting the candles over the years, but that simply gives it character. This year it sits on front of a small curio cabinet in the living room & at night you can see the reflection of the flames in the glass. Very nice. Our Christmas will begin after Hanukkah ends. Phil's Dad was not Jewish, so he grew up with both holidays, and, of course, Christmas is what I always celebrated.

The first year we lived here in Parma, OH, it was a challenge to find Hanukkah candles. Parma is so NOT the Jewish part of the Greater Cleveland area, but I had no idea it would take me going to multiple grocery stores to locate the candles. When I finally found them, I bought a bunch & we still have some. Phil's brother & SIL gave us some candles, too...so we're set for a couple more years.

Tonight is the third night of Hanukkah. I do believe Latkes will be on the dinner menu. The first night was a beef brisket, which ends up with a sweet & sour BBQ type sauce that it has braised in for hours. I'm simply not a fan of most meats...beef being my least favorite...but Phil enjoys it so I make it. I found the recipe in a cookbook written by Doralee Patinkin, Mandy's Mother. I tweak it, of course...I always do.

Basically, it's easy to prepare. I take a beef brisket...season it with garlic salt & pepper...slice a couple huge onions, usually red onions...put the onions in the bottom of a LeCreuset Dutch oven...place the brisket on top, fat side up. Then cover the fatty top with a bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce...some brown sugar...and sprinkle that with cider vinegar...we like the vinegar, so I use quite a bit. Then I add a couple cans of beer...just a cheap light beer like Milwaukee's Best Light...so that the brisket is half submerged in the beer. Cover & braise in a preheated 325-350 degree oven for as long as it takes to get the brisket tender. Check every hour or so to make sure there is still enough liquid in there & add beer as necessary. Our 4lb. brisket braised for about 6 hours & took maybe 5-6 cans of beer during that time. Be sure to slice the brisket against the grain so it's not stringy & reduce the "gravy" to a BBQ sauce consistency. We like this served with mashed potatoes. I forgot to take a pic of the finished brisket...maybe next time.

So to all of our Jewish friends & family...Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T08:26:00.000-05:00

This is my Mom carving the turkey on a Thanksgiving in the 1960s.

Happy Thanksgiving to you & yours...my dinner is already made and waiting in the fridge for whenever I decide to eat it. What's on the menu here? Lovely jumbo peel & eat Wild Gulf shrimp...cooked last night in water and some beer, lemons, Old Bay, whole black peppercorns & celery seed...complete with lots of fresh lemon & homemade shrimp sauce...quite full of horseradish, thankyouverymuch!

November 22,1963...where were you that tragic November day?

2010-11-22T13:44:00.000-05:00

Forty seven years ago...how can it be 47 years ago? I had celebrated my eleventh birthday just 10 days earlier. I remember getting home from school that day to the news that JFK had been assassinated. Tragic. Extremely tragic. I would have been in 6th grade & vividly remember watching the news coverage...even in the days before 24 hour cable news networks, all the news was focused on this horrific event.

Fast forward to sometime in the summer of 1997. We live in Dallas then & decide to go see Dealey Plaza. I know I can't & don't want to go to the Sixth Floor Museum in the Book Depository. I had an overwhelming sense of sadness standing on the grassy knoll in person. Phil did not have the same reaction...he was born in March 1963. One of those rare occasions where how young he is changes how we see things.

Rest in Peace, JFK...I for one will always wonder how our country would be different had you lived. Had Bobby lived. In my heart I believe it would be better.

Halloween Postcard Tag Swap at Red Lead

2010-10-02T11:22:00.000-04:00

It's beginning to feel like Halloween...mostly because of this fun swap over at Red Lead Paperworks. They have a rather new swap blog here. The current swap uses their fun postcard tags, along with their art stamps & collage sheet images. Mine got mailed off to them just the other day...here are the rest of my tags:

Here's to all the fun of Halloween !

Busy...busy...busy...

2010-09-15T14:13:00.000-04:00

I've been having a terrible time with hayfever since August...but I've tried to take my mind off how miserable I am by creating some new stuff for my Artfire shop. It's not posted yet...but I'll let you know when it is.

Remember September Mail Art...mails Saturday

2010-09-10T17:29:00.000-04:00

Saturday is the day to have your Remember September Mail Art postmarked. Mine will go to the post office to be hand canceled...so that the postage stamps have a chance of surviving without heavy cancellation marks.

I found the postage stamps on eBay...an entire sheet of them unused...specifically for my Remember September Mail Art. I was lucky to win them at a price not much over the sheet value. "HEROES" says it all...we'll always remember the victims & heroes of this senseless act of violence against our country.

Think of them, especially tomorrow...may they rest in peace.

Remember September Mail Art Memorial

2010-08-15T16:29:00.000-04:00

It's time to start thinking about a mail art project that I have been participating in since I first heard about it, which was in 2003. It is the Remember September Mail Art Memorial, and I'm sharing the link here in hopes that you may be inspired to participate, too.

All the information you need is on the website for the Memorial...but basically, you create an envelope of any mailable size, with the Remember September 11, 2001 theme. You put your address on the back of the envelope & you can add a personal message inside the envelope if you'd like to...the envelopes will not be opened. Have your envelope postmarked on September 11, 2010...and it will be included in the Mail Art Memorial. It seems like a great introduction to Mail Art for kids...with a history lesson built right in.

There are some archives of past envelopes on the website, from 2002-2005, and the other years will be added eventually. The envelope above is the one I mailed in 2006. I'm already thinking about what I will do this year.

I vividly remember that tragic day almost 9 years ago now. I didn't turn on the TV before leaving for work...we were still in Corona, CA then & the traffic westbound on the 91 for my drive into work was usually a challenge...creeping at just a few miles per hour for what seemed like forever. On September 11, 2001, the freeway was almost empty...quite surreal. I turned on the radio to hear what was happening & was shocked to hear of the attacks on our country. Needless to say, it was difficult to concentrate on work that day as we huddled around the radios in the office. Rumors were rampant of pending attacks on Los Angeles or other places on the West Coast. We were allowed to go home early that day...and many of us sat glued to the TV to see the horrible images from NYC and the Pentagon & the field in PA.

We must never forget that day...and how terrorism hit us in a major way...right here in America. We must remember all the innocent lives lost. Each year I mail my little work of art...and I hope you'll consider doing so, too.

Hippie Beads & Butterflies

2010-08-11T11:49:00.000-04:00

I know I've been a bad blogger...but I've been busy with a swap & some new creations for my Artfire Studio Shop. Now I've gotta get caught up.

The swap was the one I hosted for the Red Lead Paperworks Yahoo Group. The theme this time was Altered Patina Art Charms and my original post about it is here. It was a wonderful swap, and as hostess I was able to see all of the charms before I swapped them out. I love hosting swaps!

Each swap we do with the Red Lead Paperworks group includes a goodie bag that is sent along with the swap returns. Since it seems that most people have received their swap packages, I'm sharing what I made with the goodies this time. It's this necklace made with the Hippie beads I supplied for the goodie bags & the awesome Filigree Patina Butterfly charm provided by the girls at Red Lead.

I love patina on brass & other metals, so the butterfly & other patina charms sold at Red Lead are just my cup of tea. To seal the charms so the patina doesn't wear off, I used some MicroGlaze by JudiKins. It works really well & seems to be sealing the charm nicely. I have also used the Golden Glazing Liquid or Fluid Gel to seal the charms, but with the detail on the butterfly, the MicroGlaze seemed like my best choice.

I took my strand of Hippie beads (yes, I did wear beads like this back in the late 60s & early 70s) and strung them on thin beading wire with a looped crimp end attached. You can see that end in the first pic with the detail. I strung the beads randomly, adding a few others from my stash & ended with another crimp end. The second crimp end is a "challenge" to get onto the wire & still keep the beads on it & not have the strand too loose so that there is a big gap between beads...but with some trial & error...and a lot of swearing... I was finally successful. It was worth the "pain" as I really like how this looks. Then I used some antiqued brass jump rings to attach the butterfly to the beads & ended up with this necklace.

That's all for today...I'll be busy taking pix of my new creations for Artfire...I'll be sure to let y'all know when they're available. Have a great day & be creative!

New Bracelets in my Artfire Studio!

2010-07-08T12:25:00.001-04:00

I've been enjoying a creative streak since I bought some Memory Wire to make bracelets for my Artfire Studio. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE beads & these bracelets show them off beautifully. They would make a great gift for a birthday or just because...and they are priced so you can treat yourself, too!

Here are the other bracelets just added...and more will be added soon.

I'm also working on some charm bracelets...so watch for that announcement in the days ahead. You can check them out at Kitten Creates or click on the link in the right hand column of my blog.

Thanks for looking!

Happy 4th of July, 1962 style

2010-07-04T08:12:00.000-04:00

Phil & I now live in the house I grew up in...a very typical 1950's style suburban tract house. This neighborhood was a great place to live as a kid, since there were so many families with kids around the same ages as my brother & me. We were all friends & if someone else's Mom told you to do something, you listened & did it...it was just the same as having your own Mom tell you. Suburbia.

Now, many of our neighbors here are the same Moms & Dads who started their families' Ozzie & Harriet style lives here...we're all just older. The kids are out on their own...some scattered across the country as we were before we moved back here to help Mom. Many are still living in NE Ohio & always have...although personally, I cannot understand why, when there are so many better places to live...like Southern CA! The neighborhood is what I'd call an older, established one...but there are now some young families moving in. You don't see all that many kids out playing these days...times have changed.

I remember so many years when we'd get up early on the 4th of July & dress in red, white & blue, then decorate our bikes or grab a flag & have a 4th of July Parade.

We would march up & down the street...first one side & then the other. Life was good & we were living our parents' suburban dream. I recently found these photos from 1962...you've gotta love that they're in black & white with very cool deckle edges. I was 9 then, going on 10. My brother, Bob, was 6.

Here we are, in our 4th of July "finery"!

Bob was tall for his age...and this year he was supposed to be Uncle Sam.

LOVE the crooked mustache made from cotton balls!

So on this 4th of July, 2010, I send you greetings from a far simpler age than the one we live in now. Blessings to all our soldiers who are fighting to this day for freedom...& even though I do not agree with the wars we are now in, I admire & respect the sacrifice of our Armed Forces. Blessings to the families of these fine soldiers, too. May they all come home again safely & soon...very soon!

From Parma, OH to you, wherever you are...

Happy 4th of July, 1962 style!

Altered Patina Art Charms

2010-07-02T15:26:00.000-04:00

I figured it's time for some art...so here goes.

I'm hosting a swap over at the Red Lead Paperworks Yahoo Group & we're swapping charms made with these awesome patina charms that Red Lead sells. The charms are due to me by July 31, so there's still time to play if you'd like. Just join the group & sign up for the swap in the database...all the details are in there. You'll need to stop by Red Lead if you're lucky enough to live close enough for that....or order your charms from their online shop. Then have fun creating...I sure did!

The swap is 4 for 3...one of your charms will be shipped to Red Lead Paperworks to be on display in their store...cool beans! The dragonfly charm above is staying here with me...and the ones I'm swapping are shown below. I hope you enjoy them.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

2010-06-20T15:22:00.000-04:00

I have many memories of playing with Dad. Here we are around 1955 or so...playing in the sandbox he built for me. It would later have an awning on top...and that awning would slide down poles at the side to protect the sand...probably from the neighborhood stray cats.

My Dad, Ernie, was the typical 1950s/60s suburban Dad. He was an electrical engineer by profession...and he would ride the bus to & from work so that Mom could have the family car for grocery shopping. We were quite middle class...I didn't have the latest clothes and we did not lead an extravagant lifestyle...but we took road trips for vacations & we knew we were loved.

Getting an education was very important in Dad's eyes. Once we started school, we had an encyclopedia in the basement...which we referred to quite often...no internet back then. Trips to the library were common, especially if we had a big report to write. Back then, the Parma schools rewarded "Straight A Students"...and you can bet I was one of them. During the last 6 week grading period of each year, if you got straight A's, you got a pair of tickets to a Cleveland Indian's game. Dad & I went every year while I was in elementary school. In Junior High, the stakes were raised to something like 7 or 8 pairs of tickets...boy did we have fun at those games. I made sure I got those tickets for him every year.

Dad was active in church, ran the Blood Drive, played baseball with a men's team after work...it was fun to tag along to watch him play. He bowled, played golf, and provided a good home for us. When Mom & Dad were married, he knew that my Grandma...Mom's Mom...would be moving in with them. Grandma lived with us until she passed away in 1961. Dad was a loving & giving family man...and I was definitely Daddy's Girl!!!

Dad & Mom made it possible for me to go to Kent State University in 1970...the first class to enter after the Ohio National Guard murdered the students. I know it was hard for both of them to let me go...but they did. I did not need to work my way through college, although I did have a job at a flower shop that I could go to when I came home for the weekend. I was the typical strange art student of the day...and while that had to be difficult for him to understand with his extremely analytical mind & career choice, he always supported me & let me make my own decisions & mistakes. He gave no criticism when I announced that a boyfriend & I were moving to San Diego...and that I had just quit my job at Halle's so we could leave before winter. Dad gave me no unrealistic expectations for an easy ride in anything I'd do...and when I'd call crying about something I'd hear "no one ever told you it would be easy!"

Realistic support...exactly what you need from your Dad.

Dad crossed over in November 1988...just a few months after my brother's wedding. I was living in San Diego at the time & he was gone by the time I could get a flight back here. Dad was only 66 when he died...far too young. But the life lessons I learned from him live on.

Happy Father's Day, Dad! I love you & miss you.

Photos of my latest swap goodies!

2010-06-16T16:18:00.001-04:00

I know I should have posted these awhile back, but better late than never, no? The pile of wonderful surprises above is from Sandy of 521 Lake Street. Her blog is delightful & I've had so much fun getting to know her through our latest swap. I've been participating in these one-on-one vintage swaps through
A Swap for All Seasons for quite awhile now...and each one is more & more fun. The next swap will be announced August 1st, so if you like vintage & you'd like to play, check it out.

The theme for our last swap was "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue" and we were to send one item representing each category to our partner...as well as sending a vintage wedding photo. The only thing that had to be wedding related was the photo. Half the fun in these swaps is getting to know your partner through her blog & emails...and then wrapping & sending her some special treats. Here are my treats from Sandy...

The unwrapped gifts:

Something Old:

Something New:

Something Borrowed:

Something Blue:

And a Vintage Wedding Photo:

There was also a special package of destash from Sandy's studio...all wonderful art goodies that were new to me...awesome!

Thanks again, Sandy, for the wonderful swap goodies...and thanks to Linda from A Swap for All Seasons for being the hostess with the mostess for organizing another wonderful vintage swap.

Until next time...I'm busy working on more to list in my Artfire studio...don't forget the link is on the top right hand side of this blog. Have a great week!

Announcing Kitten Creates Artisan Studio on Artfire!!!

2010-06-10T16:36:00.000-04:00

I've FINALLY done it!

After months of saying I was going to open an Artfire Studio, Kitten Creates is up & running.

I am currently offering my book thongs for sale, but will be adding other handmade items, vintage treasures, and destash from my studio.

You can browse my shop here or by clicking the link on the right hand side of my page. I would love to have you stop by & then let me know what you think.

Spring Cleaning = Mystery Treasure Boxes

2010-06-09T11:13:00.000-04:00

I know it's been awhile since my last post. I've been busy with some swaps that will be blogged about soon...but I've also been working on cleaning up & reorganizing my studio. Right now, it's in that stage I always go through when cleaning & reorganizing...making more of a mess than I had when I started. Do you do that??? It seems I can't avoid that step. No photos today...maybe after it's all cleaned up.

And while I've known this for a long time, my biggest problem is that I simply have TOO MUCH STUFF!!! (I can hear that George Carlin routine about stuff every time I'm in my studio!) It's all GOOD stuff, of course...because I like good stuff. However, when you can hardly even get to the shelves in your studio because of all the stuff, it's time to do a serious purge of that stuff.

Here's where the Mystery Treasure Boxes come in. I've started to fill some Medium Flat Rate boxes with an assortment of stuff. It's all stuff I like to use or have too much of...or couldn't resist because it was a great deal in that clearance bin years ago.

I've moved part of the studio mess into the living room where I have some room to work & so far I have 3 Mystery Treasure Boxes filled up & waiting for new homes. From the looks of things, I can fill many more boxes before I'm done. I'm offering these boxes for sale...I'd love to be able to just share them, but since I'm still not working, that option is not available.

Here's the deal...each box sells for $30.00 which INCLUDES the Priority Flat Rate postage & Delivery Confirmation. I can fit a lot into one of these flat rate boxes...the people at the PO are always amazed at that. I'm not just shoving a bunch of stuff into a box...I'm making sure there is a good assortment of everything that's currently available in these. They're great for mixed media, collage & art journals, any papercrafts.

Each box is an assortment of paper, ephemera, embellishments, stickers, fibers, ribbons, trims, vintage greeting cards, playing cards, tickets, tags, book pages, fabric pieces, vintage advertising & much much more wonderful stuff.

If you'd like to take a chance & see what fun new-to-you things are in these boxes, please email me privately with your name and snail mail address. Paypal is the easiest option for payment, but if you'd prefer to send a check, we can work that out. At this time, this price is only for US mailing addresses since it's Priority Flat Rate postage.

We are a non-smoking household, although we do have a sweet kitty. I try my best to keep her hair off of my supplies, but she loves to rub on boxes & check things out, so if you're severely allergic to cats, this may not be the treasure for you.

Thanks for reading this no pix post...I'm heading out to work on packing up a few more boxes.

Make ART not trash

2010-05-18T20:48:00.002-04:00

I have to admit...I can look at many things & find an art use for them. Bottle caps get carefully removed so as not to dent them...they can be used as the base for a magnet or charm. Mesh bags that lemons or potatoes come in make great textures on a page of a journal & can be used as stencils, too. But one of my favorite art supplies that never lands in the recycling here is matchboxes...yep...matchboxes. Small ones from restaurants (if any restaurants still give those out)...and the ones from the large kitchen matches that we buy to use to light candles. With some paper & paint & embellishments, they become great little gift boxes that are actually a gift themselves.

This is an example of one I made for my online art friend, Bev. I had some goodies to share with her & decided the matchbox I had just emptied could be part of her little gift.

I really liked the drawer pull on the drawer...I thought it was a nice touch. You can buy this pull & some other styles from SkyBluePink in the Hardware category. The girl image is from Red Lead Paperworks.

Here is a peek inside the matchbox...

You can fit a lot of little art bits into one of these. Oh...and to make sure the drawer moves more easily when pulled out, I apply a bit of JudiKins MicroGlaze to the bottom & sides of the drawer itself & also to the inside surface that the drawer will slide on.

The small matchboxes are fun to use as a little gift box for a charm or a gift of beads & buttons and other small goodies. The one below was sent to a swap partner of mine, Sally...that's a small fabric yo-yo as a flower. These are so small & sweet...and a nice touch for gift giving.

So my advice is to take a look at that item you might be tempted to throw into the trash or recycling bin...it could be an art supply! Does anyone have any other wonderful "hidden" art supply ideas??? I'd love to hear them. Just leave me a comment...and keep making art!

Still waiting for SPRING !

2010-05-14T09:42:00.002-04:00

I have to admit the snow is gone...the grass & trees are green...and flowers are trying their hardest to bloom...but it's still gloomy and cold here in NE Ohio. We keep fluctuating from warm back to cold & it seems to take forever for it to warm back up again.

To me, springtime means warm SUNNY days...I sort of remember SUN here.

Have I told you lately just how much I miss Southern CA?

Since I can't seem to have Spring weather, I guess I'll have to settle for making some springtime artwork. The girls over at the Red Lead Paperworks Yahoo group are currently hosting an altered house swap with the theme "Fly Away Home" Before the swap was announced, I had been working on the house you see above. The chipboard houses that are used for this swap are so much fun to work with...and don't you love the chipboard bird, too? The little 1" high picket fence seemed like the perfect finishing touch for this house.

I still need to finish the 2 houses I'm doing for the actual swap. This swap is due by June 1, 2010, so I'll be getting those done very soon & I'll share them in another post.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom !

2010-05-09T09:35:00.000-04:00

This is a photo of my Mom, Eleanor, when she was almost 4 years old...that would have been in 1929. The original photo is hand tinted...and must have been quite an extravagance for my Grandma, who was a widow & single Mom back then. The entire photo also includes my Uncle Ed...Mom's big brother. I love this photo of her...little Eleanor...look at that huge bow in her hair!

Here's my Mom at the age of 21...in 1946...not yet married & looking forward to her future. Mom & Dad married in August of 1951...and I was their first baby...a chubby little girl...in November 1952. My brother, Bob, joined us in April 1956...and I threw a tantrum and tried to block the door when they brought him home...I wanted a sister.

Turns out it was better to have a little brother to get in trouble...but that's a whole other story!

Mom crossed over in November, 2008...almost 20 years to the day that Dad crossed over. She never recovered from his death & I know they are together somewhere over the rainbow.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

I'm in the mood for...charms!

2010-05-08T07:52:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was my art friend Kimber's birthday...Happy Birthday, Kimber!!! Awhile ago I decided to make her a charm bracelet for her birthday. The photo above is the finished bracelet. She received it & loves it, so it's ok to share it here now.

(I know the pic could be a bit clearer, but we had so many gloomy days & I had to get it into the mail to her...so I did the best I could do).

I really enjoy making art charms...and attempting to make charms that have something to do with the favorite things of the person I'm creating for. I find it makes creating the charms & sending the gift all that much more special.

Enjoy your weekend, y'all! We had tornado WARNINGS to the west of us & then to the east of us last night. Here we got high winds, heavy rains, lots of lightning but no tornado warnings. Tornadoes scare me much more than the CA earthquakes ever did. Although...I wouldn't mind taking a visit to OZ!